Project overview
X-Ray scattering owing to its generality is one of the most powerful tools available for structural studies. The major limitation however is the necessity of producing suitable crystalline samples, which is a huge drawback for most biotech nologies. Although the improvements in both sources and detectors have made strong impact in this area and driven down required sample sizes by orders of magnitude, the fundamental bottleneck remains the need for macroscopic crystalline samples. We propose to develop a technology to completely circumvent this requirement by producing short-pulse XRay sources focussed down to nanometer dimensions capable of single-particle/molecule single-shot ultrafast scattering. In parallel we will develop scanning systems to record element specific surface tomography of more radiation hard measoscale patterned materials (metals, semiconductors) on the sub-micron scale. These approaches reach down to a scale in time and space of enormous benefit to a wide range of fields in engineering, physical and biological sciences and medicine. The ultimate aim will be to observe scattering from single isolated molecules and molecular events in solution, for example a single enzyme molecule or an isolated quantum well correlating function and structure at the single particle/molecules scale.
Staff
Lead researchers
Collaborating research institutes, centres and groups
Research outputs
B. Mills, C.F. Chau, E.T.F. Rogers, J. Grant-Jacob, S.L. Stebbings, M. Praeger, A.M. de Paula, C.A. Froud, T.J. Butcher, J.J. Baumberg, W.S. Brocklesby & J.G. Frey,
2008, Applied Physics Letters, 93(23)
DOI: 10.1063/1.3033549
Type: article
M. Praeger, A.M. de Paula, C.A. Froud, E.T.F. Rogers, S.L. Stebbings, W.S. Brocklesby, J.J. Baumberg, D.C. Hanna & J.G. Frey,
2007, Nature Physics, 3(3), 176-179
DOI: 10.1038/nphys516
Type: article
F. He, J.H.V. Price, K.T. Vu, A. Malinowski, J.K. Sahu & D.J. Richardson,
2006, Optics Express, 14(26), 12846-12858
DOI: 10.1364/OE.14.012846
Type: article