Research

Science at XRF: not only spectroscopy!

The intense X-ray source available at the beamline brings the elemental sensitivity and spatial resolution of the XRF technique to a brand new level, compared to the laboratory sources, lowering the detection limits down to the μg/g order!

The high resolving power of the crystal monochromators can be used - together with our fluorescence detector - for X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) both in the near-edge (XANES) and in the extended (EXAFS) regions, assessing the chemical speciation and coordination of the detected elements.

Thin films or multilayers? No problem! Motorized manipulators move samples and detectors (translation and rotation) in different excitation/detection geometries including X-Ray Reflectivity (XRR), Grazing Incidence/Exit XRF and XAS investigations.

Please note that transmission geometry is not available for XAS measurements.

The XRF beamline offers several complementary X-ray techniques in a single facilty:

• Grazing-Incidence XRF (GIXRF) and GI-XANES: nano-layered structures or shallow dopants in semiconductors with nm depth resolution;
• Total-reflection XRF (TXRF) and TXRF-XANES: elemental/chemical characterization of liquid samples residues or particulate matter samples;
• 2D scanning XRF and XANES: chemical composition and speciation over different areas of the sample;
• X-Ray Reflectometry (XRR): structural analysis (thickness, roughness, electron density) of thin films and multilayers
• XANES and EXAFS with x-ray standing waves (XSW): absorption spectra can be collected varying the incidence angle for each energy point, so to keep a constant momentum transfer

Research fields and applications

Thanks to the high adaptability to different samples and environments, the techniques available at the XRF beamline are well suited not only for fundamental science studies, but also for a variety of applied sciences.

Materials and surfaces

Cultural heritage, archaeology and forensic

preventive conservation and archaeometry;
authenticity and elemental mapping;
suitable for inks, paintings, composite materials…

Biology, food safety, environmental and earth sciences