Current call information

Please visit the call website for full details regarding the submission and evaluation process.

The Cristallina-MX SwissMX endstation will be open for first users for the first semester of 2024.

SwissFEL call schedule
Experimental Period 01.01.2024
Call 08.08.2023
Submission deadline 15.09.2023
Start period 01.01.2024
End period 31.07.2024
EVALUATION
 		 15.09.2023 - 30.10.2023

The SwissMX has currently only been commissioned to accept two styles of fixed-target: the PSI MISP (MIcro-Structured Polymer) and the MPI SOS (Sheet-On-Sheet) chip (Doak et al., 2018). The MISP-chip is composed of an array of apertures in defined locations in a similar style to the Oxford (Horrell et al., 2021) and HARE chips (Mehrabi et al., 2020). The MISP-chips can be fabricated in either a clear or an opaque polymer, with the only latter being compatible with pump-probe measurements. The SOS chip by comparison is made by carefully sandwiching a sample between two sheets of polymer film and are ideal for samples of limited volume in viscous media such as LCP. Liquid-crystal samples will need to be embedded in a moderately viscous medium to be used effectively. Please indicate in the DUO which chip or both you would like to use.

The SwissMX is capable of both SFX and nanosecond resolution SFX pump-probe measurements. The endstation can be fibre-coupled to an EKSPLA nanosecond OPO and the pump-probe measurements have been commissioned using the opaque MISP chips. Pump-probe is only possible using these chips.

Our standard SFX beamtime configurations are: X-ray photon energy of 12 keV with standard bandwidth (0.15 % SASE), nano-second laser excitation between 410 nm - 700 nm (if required), Jungfrau 8M detector and either MISP or SOS chips. Max beamtime length will be 2 days (6 shifts). Please indicate if you would only like 0.5/1 shifts for non-pump-probe SFX measurements.

SwissMX
Photon energy range
  • 10 – 12.4 keV
  • SwissMX is currently only commissioned for in air measurements
  • Therefore, photon energy practically limited to >10 keV
  • The beam is caught by scatter guards before and after the sample position, giving a 15 mm of air window
Beam profile
  • Measured beam size to 1.5x1.5 µm2 (FWHM) at 12 keV
  • Larger beam profiles have been tested but not fully commissioned – please contact the beamline scientist if you have questions
Bandwidth
  • Pink Beam with 0.25% of fundamental is standard; larger bandwidths of up to 2% are also possible (photon energy dependent)
Environment
  • SwissMX has only currently been commissioned for in air measurements
Fixed-targets

PSI MISP-chip

  • Small – 6,000 apertures
  • Large – 26,000 apertures
  • Aperture pitch = 120 µm (distance between adjacent apertures)
  • Typically sealed in two layers of film - 6 µm Mylar standard but thinner films are also possible.
  • Suitable for SFX and SFX pump-probe

MPI SOS chip

  • No apertures – crystals are embedded randomly in media and sandwiched between two pieces of film - 6 µm Mylar standard but thinner films are also possible.
  • User defined shot-spacing
  • 25x25 µm spacing commissioned with no radiation damage at 12 keV
  • Possible 250,000 images from 12.5x12.5 mm2
  • Not suitable for SFX pump-probe
Detectors
  • 8 Mpixel JUNGFRAU (125 mm radius) on an 180 mm translation stage
  • Smallest sample detector distance = 110 mm
  • Please give a reasonable estimate of your desired resolution so the detector geometery can be properly determined prior to beamtime. See Cristallina-MX for a rough guide.
Optical pump laser
  • EKSPLA NT230-100-SH/SF-ATTN/FC ns OPO
  • Pulse width = 3.2 ns at 450 nm
  • Laser is fibre-coupled to SwissMX
  • Maximum pulse energies are limit to 2 µJ
  • Only commissioned wavelength from 410-700 nm
  • Please contact beamline scientist if you wish to move outside of the visible spectrum
  • Focus 30x30 µm2 at 450 nm