Start of funding 01.07.2005

Higher-order diffraction in the nanospectroscopy of novel materials

Prof. Dr. Rainer Fink
Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
Lehrstuhl für Physikalische Chemie II

Prof. Dr. Janos Kirz
University of California, Berkeley
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Materials Science Division



Zone-plate based nanospectroscopy has attracted attention in various scientific disciplines (physics, material science, chemistry, biology). The aim of the present project is to further develop the present technology for future x-ray nanospectroscopes (to be) operated by both institutions (at the Advanced Light Source and the POLLUX instrument of the Erlangen group at the Swiss Light Source). Higher-order diffraction of zone-plates shall be utilized to improve the spatial resolution in scanning transmission x-ray microspectroscopy. This would allow superior opportunities for the spectroscopic analysis particularly of novel materials (and in addition with potential applications in environmental research or in the field of life sciences).