The combined use of adaptive optics and nonlinear optical wavefront reversal techniques to compensate for turbulent distortions when focusing laser radiation on distant objects

Approaches to constructing a mock-up of a system for focusing laser radiation on distant objects using both adaptive optics elements and nonlinear-optical wavefront reversal methods providing compensation for turbulent distortions are considered. Numerical calculations were preliminarily performed, in which the split-step method was used as a numerical method for solving a second-order partial differential wave equation for the complex amplitude of the wave field of a laser beam. This method, combined with methods of spectral-phase Fourier transforms and statistical tests, is the most effective way to obtain reliable quantitative results for solving engineering problems of atmospheric wave optics. Quantitative data are obtained on the effect of turbulent atmospheric distortions along propagation paths on the main parameters of coherent laser beams – focusing, effective average radius, and the proportion of the beam energy in its diffraction spot. The preliminary results obtained of the system mock-up performance confirm the conclusions of the theory.

A laboratory transmission diffraction Laue setup to evaluate single-crystal quality

A scanning laboratory Laue transmission setup is developed to probe extended quasi-monocrystalline samples. Orientation mapping is achieved by controlling the collimation of the incident beam and scanning the position of the specimen. An automated indexing algorithm for transmission Laue patterns is presented, together with a forward simulation model adapted for a laboratory setup. The effect of the main parameters of the system is studied with the aim of achieving exposure times of the order of one second. Applications are presented to probe the orientation of an extended part and detect disoriented regions within the bulk. Finally, the analysis of diffraction spot shapes shows that the misorientation within the illuminated volume can be measured, and a new method is proposed to evaluate its complete mean lattice rotation tensor.

Ultraprecision Real-Time Displacements Calculation Algorithm for the Grating Interferometer System

Grating interferometry is an environmentally stable displacement measurement technique that has significant potential for identifying the position of the wafer stage. A fast and precise algorithm is required for real-time calculation of six degrees-of-freedom (DOF) displacement using phase shifts of interference signals. Based on affine transformation, we analyze diffraction spot displacement and changes in the internal and external effective optical paths of the grating interferometer caused by the displacement of the wafer stage (DOWS); then, we establish a phase shift-DOWS model. To solve the DOWS in real time, we present a polynomial approximation algorithm that uses the frequency domain characteristics of nonlinearities to achieve model reduction. The presented algorithm is verified by experiment and ZEMAX simulation.

Microchannel Fabrication Using A Photo-Patternable Adhesive Material for Recording Conformational Changes of KcsA Channel with the Diffracted X-ray Tracking Method

Diffracted X-ray tracking (DXT) method can trace conformational changes of KcsA potassium ion channel during gating by recording position of diffraction spot from a gold nanocrystal attached to the channel as a movie. For high-resolution imaging under controlled microenvironments for KcsA channels, we report a microfluidic device consisting of two SiN membrane windows bonded with a photo patternable adhesive material. The reduced signal-to-background ratio as well as suitable adhesive material thickness for the microchannel are discussed in the experiment at the synchrotron radiation facility.

Real-time study of transients during high-temperature creep of an Ni-base superalloy by far-field high-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction

The high-temperature mechanical behavior of single-crystal Ni-base superalloys has been formerly studied by in situ triple-crystal synchrotron X-ray diffractometry (TCD). However, the 1/300 s recording frequency does not allow real-time tests. It is shown here that real-time monitoring is possible with far-field diffractometry in transmission. The use of a far-field camera enables one to follow a diffraction spot with high angular precision and high recording speed. This technique allows measurement of the mechanical response of an AM1 Ni-base single-crystal superalloy following steep load jumps and relaxations during high-temperature creep tests. Local crystal misorientation is revealed and rafting (oriented coalescence) is examined. This new technique is compared with TCD, in order to highlight its benefits and drawbacks.

Nanox: a miniature mechanical stress rig designed for near-field X-ray diffraction imaging techniques

Multi-modal characterization of polycrystalline materials by combined use of three-dimensional (3D) X-ray diffraction and imaging techniques may be considered as the 3D equivalent of surface studies in the electron microscope combining diffraction and other imaging modalities. Since acquisition times at synchrotron sources are nowadays compatible with four-dimensional (time lapse) studies, suitable mechanical testing devices are needed which enable switching between these different imaging modalities over the course of a mechanical test. Here a specifically designed tensile device, fulfilling severe space constraints and permitting to switch between X-ray (holo)tomography, diffraction contrast tomography and topotomography, is presented. As a proof of concept the 3D characterization of an Al–Li alloy multicrystal by means of diffraction contrast tomography is presented, followed by repeated topotomography characterization of one selected grain at increasing levels of deformation. Signatures of slip bands and sudden lattice rotations inside the grain have been shown by means ofin situtopography carried out during the load ramps, and diffraction spot peak broadening has been monitored throughout the experiment.

A feasibility study of full-field X-ray orientation microscopy at the onset of deformation twinning

Three-dimensional X-ray orientation microscopy based on X-ray full-field imaging techniques such as diffraction contrast tomography is a challenging task when it comes to materials displaying non-negligible intragranular orientation spread and/or intricate grain microstructures as a result of plastic deformation and deformation twinning. As shown in this article, the optimization of the experimental conditions and a number of modifications of the data analysis routines enable detection and three-dimensional reconstruction of twin lamellae down to micrometre thickness, as well as more accurate three-dimensional reconstruction of grains displaying intragranular orientation spreads of up to a few degrees. The reconstruction of spatially resolved orientation maps becomes possible through the use of a recently introduced six-dimensional reconstruction framework, which has been further extended in order to enable simultaneous reconstruction of parent and twin orientations and to account for the finite impulse response of the X-ray imaging detector. The simultaneous reconstruction of disjoint orientation domains requires appropriate scaling of the scattering intensities based on structure and Lorentz factors and yields three-dimensional reconstructions with comparable density values for all the grains. This in turn enables the use of a global intensity-guided assembly procedure and avoids problems related to the single-grain thresholding procedure used previously. Last but not least, carrying out a systematic search over the list of known twin variants (forward modelling) for each of the indexed parent grains, it is possible to identify additional twins which have been left undetected at the previous stage of grain indexing based on diffraction spot peak positions. The enhanced procedure has been tested on a 1% deformed specimen made from a Ti–4% Al alloy and the result has been cross-validated against a two-dimensional electron backscatter diffraction orientation map acquired on one of the lateral sample surfaces.

Correlating sampling and intensity statistics in nanoparticle diffraction experiments

In a previous article [Öztürk, Yan, Hill & Noyan (2014).J. Appl. Cryst.47, 1016–1025] it was shown that the sampling statistics of diffracting particle populations within a polycrystalline ensemble depended on the size of the constituent crystallites: broad X-ray peak breadths enabled some nano-sized particles to contribute more than one diffraction spot to Debye–Scherrer rings. Here it is shown that the equations proposed by Alexander, Klug & Kummer [J. Appl. Phys.(1948),19, 742–753] (AKK) to link diffracting particle and diffracted intensity statistics are not applicable if the constituent crystallites of the powder are below 10 nm. In this size range, (i) the one-to-one correspondence between diffracting particles and Laue spots assumed in the AKK analysis is not satisfied, and (ii) the crystallographic correlation between Laue spots originating from the same grain invalidates the assumption that all diffracting plane normals are randomly oriented and uncorrelated. Such correlation produces unexpected results in the selection of diffracting grains. For example, three or more Laue spots from a given grain for a particular reflection can only be observed at certain wavelengths. In addition, correcting the diffracted intensity values by the traditional Lorentz term, 1/cos θ, to compensate for the variation of particles sampled within a reflection band does not maintain fidelity to the number of poles contributing to the diffracted signal. A new term, cos θB/cos θ, corrects this problem.