X-ray Takagi-Taupin dynamical theory generalized to n-beam diffraction cases.
A new X-ray dynamical diffraction theory that can deal with n-beam cases comprehensively (n in [3, 4, 6, 8, 12]) has been derived based on the Takagi-Taupin dynamical theory. The new theory takes into account correctly the effects of arbitrarily polarized incident X-rays and the polarization states of X-ray wavefields in a crystal. Furthermore, an arbitrary lattice displacement in the crystal can be dealt with. The new theory has a high symmetry and therefore can be written with one equation supposing that suffixes are taken in 2n ways, where the suffixes indicate ordinal numbers of waves and polarization states. This simplicity of the theory enables a computer program to solve the equations to be coded easily. A method to solve the theory numerically is also described. 'Six-beam X-ray section topographs' computer simulated based on the new theory are also presented.
Energy and polarization-tunable X-ray quarter-wave plates for energy dispersive absorption spectrometer
Abstract Diamond crystals inserted in an energy dispersive setup are shown to be efficient quarter-wave plates at transforming a linearly polarized X-ray beam into a circularly polarized one. Circular magnetic X-ray dichroism (CMXD) spectra have been recorded at different absorption edges demonstrating the energy tunability of the device. CMXD spectra have also been obtained by switching the helicity of the circular polarization, i.e., flipping the quarter-wave plate between two opposite angular offsets from the Bragg peak. This development opens new classes of experiments.
X-ray Natural Circular Dichroism
Natural Circular Dichroism was only recently discovered in the x-ray range[1]. This effect stems from the interference terms which mix multipole transition moments of opposite parity: the Electric Dipole-Electric Quadrupole (E1.E2) and the Electric Dipole-Magnetic Dipole (E1.M1) exist only in structures with broken space inversion symmetry. The scalar E1.M1 term known to be responsible for Circular Dichroism at optical wavelengths is usually considered to be vanishingly small for core level spectroscopies. The E1.E2 interference term, on the contrary, can be large in the X-ray region, but it is a parity odd second rank tensor and therefore observable only in 13 non-centrosymmetric crystal classes. X-ray Natural Circular Dichroism has now been detected in the XANES region for several uniaxial and biaxial crystals. It can give access to the absolute configuration of chiral absorbing centers. On the other hand, Chiral-EXAFS, i.e. the analog of Magnetic-EXAFS for Natural Circular Dichroism has also been measured recently using a uniaxial optically active crystal of paratellurite (TeO2). Chiral-EXAFS originates from symmetry allowed multiple scattering paths. In this presentation, we wish to report on recent advances in X-ray natural circular dichroism and its applications. Determination of absolute configuration is illustrated with measurements of both E1.E2 and E1.M1 terms in chiral alpha-Ni(H2O)6Â·SO4 single crystals. Manifestation of X-ray optical acitivity in magnetoelectric crystals will be illustrated with various dichroisms measured at the Fe K-edge in multiferroic GaFeO3 crystal. Finally, we will review briefly the perspectives open by our experiments.