The SMIS infrared spectromicroscopy beamline delivers high-brilliance infrared radiation in the ~1 - 100 µm spectral range, optimized in the 2.5 - 50 µm spectral window. The synchrotron beam is split to operate two systems working in parallel. The beamline is dedicated to multiscale microscopy, spanning from <20 nm spatial resolution to >2 cm sample size with several instruments. SMIS offers analysis capabilities in a variety of conditions including pressure, temperature, gas environment and light polarization control.
An ensemble of experimental cells are provided and adapted to accommodate various needs allowing experiments at various temperature and pressure conditions, under mechanical stress, etc. Besides working with commercially available equipment adapted to the synchrotron source, the SMIS beamline is a world leading facility in custom built IR instrumentation.
Team
Technical data
1.25 μm – 50 μm / 8000 cm-1 – 200 cm-1 / 1 – 0.025 eV
0.1 cm-1 / 0.012 meV
Edge and Bending Magnet Radiation - 78 mrad Horizontal × 20 mrad Vertical extraction
1.86×1014 Photons/s/0.1%bw @ 10 µm for 500 mA stored current
Combination of flat and toroid mirrors. The synchrotron beam is divided to feed two IR interferometers at the same time
Single point microscopy
Time resolved, high spatial resolution microscopy (rapid scan and Step/Scan)
Single point raster mapping
ATR microscopy in inverted geometry
Very high sensitivity ATR spectroscopy (~70 ATR bounces)
2D IR FPA imaging
nanoIR techniques: sSNOM and phototermal AFM-IR (under commissioning)
mIRage photothermal IR microscope with ~500 nm resolution (operating with QCL source)
Raman microscopy
Müller polarimetry (SR adaptation in progress, available with thermal source)
ATR and grazing incidence objectives
Diamond anvil cells: low (0.5-5 GPa) and moderately high (<40GPa) pressure
Cooling and heating sample stages (Linkam)
LHe flow cryostat (Oxford Microstat)
~10×10 μm2
~4.8×1013 Photons/s/0.1%bw at the entrance of the interferometer
small area MCT/A (Mercury Cadmium Telluride), MCT/B detector with extended spectral range, LHe cooled CuGe, InSb, Si photodiode
Both linearly (bending magnet emission) and radially polarized (edge radiation)
Scientific opportunities
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Soft matter |
Microscopic Analysis of inclusions in polymers; polymer interfaces; chemical imaging of components and crystallinity;deformation under stretching;Chemical composition changes with temperature |
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Geology |
Identification of inclusions in minerals; Chemical imaging of inclusions constituents; Interface studies, grain boundaries between minerals; archaeological minerals; Study of water recirculation in deep earth mantle; Deformation and chemical composition changes of minerals under high pressure |
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Biology, Biomedical |
Individual cells study, Imaging biochemical compositon inside individual cells: Apoptosis et Necrosis; Tumoral cells; Study of human tissues: hair, skin, bone, brain... ; bacterial identification. |
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Archeology |
Analysis of ancient mummies, ancient cosmetics; analysis of traces of paint composition. |
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Thin Films |
Analysis and chemical imaging of thin films, protection layers |
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Applied Research |
Analysis and expertise of various applied problems in a short time scale. |
Desription of experimental capabilities at the SMIS beamline both with synchrotron beam and off line instruments.
Point-to-point IR spectromicroscopy, raster mapping
| Location / branch | SMIS 1 |
| Spectral range | MCT/A detector, 650 - 6000 cm-1 |
| Spectral resolution | 0.125 - 32 cm-1 |
| Operation modes | Confocal dual aperture, single aperture, reflection and transmission geometry |
| Accessories | Linkam heating stage, high quality purge box, microfluidic devices, Thermo ATR accessory |
| Objectives | 15x (0.58 NA), 32x (0.65 NA), 15x ATR ZnSe |
| Location / branch | SMIS 1 |
| Spectral range | MCT detector, 650 - 6000 cm-1 |
| Spectral resolution | 4 - 32 cm-1 |
| Spatial resolution | <20 nm |
| Operation modes | scattering SNOM spectromicroscopy, imaging with a QCL source, fluorescence imaging and TERS with 532 nm excitation |
| Location / branch | SMIS 2 |
| Spectral range |
MCT/A detector, 650 - 6000 cm-1 InGaAs detector 2000 - 14000 cm-1 |
| Spectral resolution | 0.125 - 32 cm-1 |
| Operation modes | Confocal dual aperture, single aperture, reflection and transmission geometry |
| Accessories | Linkam heating stage, microfluidic devices, Thermo ATR accessory |
| Objectives | 15x (0.58 NA), 32x (0.65 NA), 15x ATR ZnSe |
The Thermo Nicolet 8700 bench is capable of time resolved studies in Rapid Scan and Step/Scan modes.
| Location / branch | SMIS 2 |
| Spectral range |
MCT/A detector, 650 - 6000 cm-1 Si Bolometer, 100 - 900 cm-1 |
| Spectral resolution | 0.125 - 32 cm-1 |
| Operation modes | Confocal dual aperture, single aperture, reflection and transmission geometry |
| Accessories | Linkam heating stage, microfluidic devices, Diamond Anvil Cells |
| Objectives | 15x (0.58 NA), 32x (0.65 NA), Bruker Grazing Incidence Objective |
| Location / branch | SMIS 2 |
| Spectral range |
MCT/A detector, 650 - 6000 cm-1 Si Bolometer, 100 - 900 cm-1 |
| Spectral resolution | 0.125 - 32 cm-1 |
| Operation modes | Reflection and transmission geometry |
| Accessories | Diamond Anvil Cells (DAC), DAC LHe flow cryostat (base T~15K), DAC heating accessory (T up to 700 Cº), custom user experiments |
| Objectives | 15x (0.5 NA) |
| Location / branch | SMIS extension |
| Spectral range |
800 - 1800 cm-1 |
| Spectral resolution | 0.5 cm-1 |
| Operation modes | Reflection (Si and APD detectors for high and low power operation), Transmission (Si detector) |
| Accessories | Raman spectrometer (in progress) |
| Manufacturer | Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp. |
SMIS, in collaboration with multiple research groups is participating in the development of Quasar, an open source project, a collection of data analysis toolboxes extending the Orange suite. We empower researchers from a variety of fields to gain better insight into their data through interactive data visualization, powerful machine learning methods and combining different datasets in easy to understand visual workflows.
Potential users can download the software from the Quasar website and interested developers can contribute to the repositories of the Quasars GitHub organization.
