Laboratory-based tender X-ray spectrometer for X-ray absorption fine structure measurementsLaboratory-based tender X-ray spectrometer for X-ray absorption fine structure measurementsH.-S. Yu et al.

This study describes the design and performance of a laboratory-based tender X-ray spectrometer for X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The system enables effective absorption spectra to be measured within the 2.0–9.0 keV range using Rowland circle geometry; it covers the K edge of 3d transition metals, the L edge of lanthanides, and the M edge of actinides. The spectrometer is configured with a Rowland circle with a diameter of 500 mm and integrates a 250 W liquid metal jet X-ray source, spherical bent crystal analyzer, and energy-resolving silicon drift detector. The X-ray source is installed outside the vacuum chamber and remains fixed, while the analyzer crystals and detector are adjusted to change the Bragg angle, maintaining the Rowland condition. The energy resolution is 0.36–1.30 eV at 2.0–9.0 keV, and the monochromatic flux is approximately 5 × 105 counts/s at 7040 eV. This study highlights the primary characteristics of the spectrometer and demonstrates its capabilities using selected experimental examples. The successful development of this spectrometer can facilitate research on actinide elements, which are often constrained in synchrotron radiation experiments owing to their radioactivity, thus fostering advancements in related nuclear energy fields.