Emergence of the first XAFS/XRF beamline in the Middle East: providing studies of elements and their atomic/electronic structure in pluridisciplinary research fields

Abstract

XAFS/XRF is a general-purpose absorption spectroscopy beamline at the Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME), Jordan. Herein, its optical layout is presented along with its powerful capabilities in collecting absorption and fluorescence spectra within a wide energy range (4.7–30 keV). The beamline is equipped with a conventional fixed-exit double-crystal monochromator that allows the collection of an X-ray absorption spectrum within a few minutes in step-by-step mode. An on-the-fly scanning mode will be implemented shortly where the acquisition time will be reduced to less than a minute per scan. The full automation of the beamline allows performing successive measurements under different conditions. The different experimental setups and special features available to users are reported. Examples of XRF and XAFS measurements are presented, showing the performance of the beamline under different standard conditions.