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The Diffraction Facility has four instruments  
The Empyrean is mostly used for powders and solid samples
The MRD is mostly used for thin films and solid samples
The XtaLAB Mini II is mostly used for single crystals
The Epsilon 1 can be used for most samples

Empyrean
MRD

Empyrean

X'Pert3 MRD

Empyrean - resize.png

  • Radiation:  Copper (default), cobalt & silver (upon request)

  • Measurements

    • Phase identification

    • Phase quantification

    • Lattice parameters

    • Crystallinity

    • Crystallite Size

    • Microstrain

    • Pair distribution function (PDF) - room temperature and in situ high-temperature XRD (HTXRD)

    • Thermal expansion (in situ HTXRD)

    • Reaction equations (in situ HTXRD)

    • Reaction temperatures (in situ HTXRD)

    • Reaction kinetics (in situ HTXRD)

  • Sample Types​

    • Powder​

    • Solid

    • Thin film

  • Hardware​

    • Incident Side​

      • Parallel beam mirror​

      • Programmable divergence slits

      • Focusing mirror

    • Diffracted Side​

      • Programmable anti-scatter slits​

      • Fixed anti-scatter slits

      • Parallel plate collimator

    • Sample stages​

      • Reflection/transmission/spinner (default)​

      • Anton Paar HTK 1200N (high temperature)

        • Dry air, ambient air, inert gas, and high vacuum environments​

      • Programmable XYZ

      • Chi-phi-Z

XPert3 MRD - resize.png

  • Radiation:  Copper

  • Measurements

    • Phase idendification

    • Lattice parameters

    • Crystallinity

    • Crystallite size

    • Microstrain

    • Texture (aka preferred orientation or pole figures)

    • Residual stress

    • Grazing incidence XRD

    • High resolution XRD

  • Sample Types​

    • Fiber

    • Solid

    • Thin film

  • Hardware​

    • Incident Side​

      • Parabolic mirror​

      • Double crossed slits collimator

      • 4X Ge(220) 4 crystal monochromator

    • Diffracted Side​

      • Parallel plate collimator​

      • Rocking curve optic

      • Two bounce asymmetric triple axis analyzer​

    • Sample Stage​

      • 5 axis (chi-phi-X-Y-Z)​ cradle

SingleCrystal/XRF
XRF

Epsilon 1 (XRF)

XtaLAB Mini II

IMG_4795.jpg
Epsilon - 2 - Edited.jpg

  • Radiation:  Molybdenum

  • Temperature range = 100-300K

  • Sample types

    • Single crystals

      • Must be 500 microns at most; 300 microns or smaller is preferable

      • Full structure solution as a function of temperature

    • Powders

      • Enough to fill a 300 micron loop

      • Can determine phase evolution as a function of temperature (space group and lattice parameters)

  • Single crystal structure solution includes determination of

    • Space group 

    • Lattice parameters

    • Atomic displacement parameters (ADPs)

    • Site occupancy factors (SOPs)​​

  • Advantage

    • An almost imperceptible amount of sample is required for data collection

  • Radiation:  Silver

  • Measurement

    • Element identification

    • Element quantification

  • Sample Types​

    • Loose powder

    • Pressed pellet

    • Solid chunk

  • Limitation

    • Unable to detect elements lighter than fluorine​

  • Advantages

    • Sample preparation typically takes a minute or two​

    • Data collection typically takes 3.5 minutes

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