At the end of April 2018, the first coupling of the synchrotron radiation with a SESAME infrared spectrometer was conducted and the first molecule vibrational spectra were recorded.
This infrared beamline is the second to come into operation at SESAME, after the beamline devoted to spectroscopy x-ray absorption fine structure and x-ray fluorescence (XAFS/XRF). It is an important step in the establishment of an active scientific community in the Middle East region.
The design and construction project for the infrared beamline at SESAME synchrotron was proposed, initiated, and carried out with very close collaboration and a significant contribution from SOLEIL.
From 2008, the origin of this project, including optical simulations and a first design of the beamline elements were initiated within the SMIS beamline team as part of a thesis by a Jordanian student, Ibrahem Yousef. This project received strong support from SESAME management and its scientific council, who decided to include this beamline among the first two to be built and put into service at SESAME, at its official opening.
The construction budget was obtained at the end of 2014 and Gihan Kamel was appointed scientist in charge of the beamline. Under the impetus of its scientific director, Giorgio Paolucci, SOLEIL was then charged to carry out the updating of the project, its construction and its delivery to SESAME as well as its installation and its alignment.
Photo 1: Gihan Kamel, in the experimental hutch of the IR beamline at SESAME
Significant changes in the mechanical design of the project had to be made due to changes in the layout of the storage ring elements. These were carried out by Stéphane Lefrançois (Beamline SMIS, SOLEIL). The mechanical construction of the beamline elements were conducted by a French mechanical company, Gavard and Cie located in Arrou (Eure et Loir French department). The installation and alignment of the entire beamline was conducted by Paul Dumas (Research director emeritus SOLEIL-CNRS), whose many trips were made possible thanks to the European Open SESAME project co-ordinated at SOLEIL by Nazaré Guimard.
Photo 2: Nazaré Guimard co-ordinated the European Open SESAME project at SOLEIL