Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS )/ Wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS)

Introduction

The SAXS/WAXS beamline at the 3 GeV Australian Synchrotron, part of ANSTO, can be used to probe the structure and organisation of solids, fluids, and surfaces, from the angstrom to hundreds of nanometres length-scales. It is a flexible undulator beamline boasting an optical design for minimising instrument background intensity while providing a highly adaptable endstation and sample stage. Transmission and grazing-incidence (GISAXS/GIWAXS) experiments are the primarily focus on the beamline. A flexible detector vessel and sample stage support many sample types and sample environments, both in air and in-vacuum. Details are available on the Beamline Wiki.

The beamline design provides a high flux in the 6 to 21 keV energy range. Optical alignment is such that large changes of energy are rapid, straight forward, and can readily be made swiftly and precisely. This, coupled with the 0.02% energy bandpass, makes possible anomalous scattering experiments. Additional details of the source flux may be found on the SAXS Specifications page.

The beamline currently offers a single large area X-ray detector: a Pilatus3-2M. This offers a dynamic q-range of ~200, meaning that a wide q-range can be measured at any one camera length, or the full q-range of the instrument can be covered in two camera lengths. Details of the q-range accessible using different arrangements of the 2D area detector and beam energies may be found on the SAXS/WAXS Technical Specifications page. An on-axis video camera provides real-time and parallax-free sample viewing, suitable for alignment before and during exposure.

If you have any enquiries regarding the beamline or interest in planning an experiment with us, please reach out.

For general information about Small Angle Scattering the canSAS website provides a range of resources and tools.

Techniques available

The SAXS/WAXS is a highly flexible X-ray scattering beamline with purpose-build optics and a very flexible endstation and sample stage supporting a vast range of experiments. A brief description can be found as follows:

Transmission experiments:
- In-air: static room temperature experiments (capillaries, steel plates, 96 well-plates).
- In-air: temperature-controlled environments (water bath controlled, suitable for capillary holders or 96 well-plates).
- In-air: temperature-controlled environments (Multi coin-cell holder, independent electrical contacts, up to eight samples simultaneously, water bath controlled).
- In-air Linkam stage: single and up to three capillaries simultaneously, suitable for individual solid samples.
- In-air: mechanical testing (uniaxial, high-capacity stepper motor driven linear stage and single load cell).
- In-vacuum: Steel plates, cross-sectional measurements, fibres.
- In-vacuum: rotation stage (full rotational degree of freedom).
Grazing geometry:
- In-air: 3- and 2-axis goniometer (room temperature and solid-liquid interface cell available).
- In-air: Goniometer + Linkam stage (temperature controlled).
- In-vacuum: hexapod (room temperature).
- In-vacuum: Linkam stage + hexapod (temperature controlled).

For further information on a specific capability at the beamline, please visit the Sample Environments description.

Find out more the SAXS/WAXS User WikiView the Wiki