Table of Content

  • The PSI User Office invites user proposals for the first user run at SwissFEL.
  • SwissFEL is being continuously developed but the proposals must be based on the parameters outlined below on this page
  • After the submission deadline the proposals are evaluated in terms of safety and technical feasibility. Then they are ranked in terms of scientific criteria by the international SwissFEL Proposal Review Committee (PRC). More information about the evaluation procedure is published on Evaluation. The result of this rating is the basis for the beamtime assessment made by SwissFEL.
  • The main proposers are informed by email about the result of the ranking and beamtime assessment.
  • The annual calendar for the proposal evaluation is as seen below.

Schedule for Calls

SwissFEL Call schedule
Experimental Period 2019-II
Call 2019/02/08
Submission deadline 2019/03/15
Start period 2019/07/01
End period 2019/12/31
EVALUATION

start: March 16
Current achieved parameters (February 4th , 2019)
  • photon energy: 1.8-12.4 keV (12.7 keV is also possible)
  • typical pulse energies: 200-600 µJ
  • repetition rate: single shot - 25Hz
  • X-ray pulse duration: 50 - 100 fs fwhm
  • X-ray-laser arrival-time jitter: ~ 200 fs fwhm
  • A novel fast scanning option allows varying the photon energy by ±15% in a time span of less than 10 minutes. A variation of pulse energy by ±20% may occur during the scan.

Please note, that due to the early operation phase of the SwissFEL facility, the evolution in 2019 toward advanced parameters is based on best effort.

Experimental Endstations

For the first run the Alvra and Bernina endstations are available with the following parameters:

Alvra Instrument

The Alvra end station of SwissFEL specializes in measuring the ultrafast dynamics of photochemical and photobiological systems using a variety of X-ray scattering and spectroscopic techniques. For the Alvra branch, the Alvra Prime chamber and Alvra Flex in-air instruments will be available with the following parameters.
Alvra Prime
Photon energy range 2 keV – 12.4 keV, instrument fully commissioned over the full energy range
Beam profile - Measured focus 20 x 30 µm2 (fwhw) at 2 and 4.5 keV.
- Measured focus 5 x 5 µm2 (fwhm) for energies > 6 keV.
- Unfocused beam: ~1 x 1 mm2 (fwhm) energy dependent
Bandwidth Monochromatic (Si(111), InSb(111), Si(311)) and pink beam (0.2% of fundamental)
Environment Vacuum (down to 5x10-4 mbar ) up to atmospheric pressure (He or N2)
Sample delivery Liquid jet:
  • Flat jet (100, 200 and 300 µm) with gear or peristaltic pump
  • Round jet (20-100 µm) with HPLC pump
LCP injector (50-100 µm)
Solid samples
Detectors and Spectrometers -16M Jungfrau forward scattering detector at 10 cm distance
-2 x 2 crystal von Hamos dispersive X-ray emission spectrometer (1-12.4 keV)
-Diodes for integrated x-ray absorption measurements
Alvra Flex
Photon energy range 5 keV – 12.4 keV
Beam profile Focused 100 x 100 µm2 (fwhm) from design
Unfocused beam 1 x 1 mm2 (fwhm) energy dependent
Bandwidth Monochromatic (Si(111), InSb(111), Si(311) and pink beam (0.5% of fundamental)
Environment Atmosphere
Sample delivery Liquid jet:
-Flat jet (100 µm to 250 µm) with gear or peristaltic pump
-Round jet (20 µm to 100 µm) with HPLC pump
Solid samples
Detectors and Spectrometers -3 crystal von Hamos dispersive X-ray emission spectrometer with 1 M Jungfrau detector
-Diodes for x-ray absorption measurements
Alvra experimental laser
Fundamental 800 nm, 35 fs, 10 mJ (Ti:Sapphire)
OPA conversion 240 nm – 2.5 µm
Pulse energy at the sample position 240 nm – 2.5 micron (OPA with additional nonlinear conversion options).
Measured pulse energies at the sample location vary with wavelength, ranging between 5 to 100 µJ. For specific pump wavelengths please inquire. Pulse durations are expected to be approximately 75 fs fwhm.
Focus 50 x 50 – 500 x 500 µm2 (fwhm)
General information about the Alvra endstations can be found at: Alvra
For questions and further information about Alvra contact: Dr. Chris Milne

Bernina Instrument

The Bernina Instrument presently provides two interchangeable platforms, the X-ray Diffractometer (XRD) equipped with a two circle detector arm, and the General Purpose Station (GPS) with a multi-purpose horizontal 2-theta arm. Both platforms/endstations can be completed with a sample platform choice of a 6 DOF heavy load goniometer, a 2-circle surface diffractometer combination plus hexapod, and a kappa arm. An additional 6 DOF robot arm can be used for flexible detector positioning.
Bernina
Photon energy range 4.5 keV – 12.7 keV
Beam profile Focused 5x5 µm2 (fwhm, measured) to unfocused 1000x1000 µm2 (fwhm, photon energy dependent)
Bandwidth Monochromatic (Si(111) commissioned, InSb(111), Si(311) available) and pink beam (~0.2% of fundamental, transmissive spectrometer available)
Environment He or ambient atmosphere, platform for user-supplied chambers, N2 and He based cryo stream coolers down to ~80 K (tested)
Sample systems Solids: single crystals, powders, amorphous systems
Detectors and Spectrometer -1.5 M Jungfrau detector
-16 M Jungfrau detector
-Diodes or single element (0.5 M) Jungfrau detectors for multi- purpose applications
Bernina optical pump laser
Primary pump source 800 nm, 35 fs FWHM, 10 mJ (Ti:Sapphire)
Secondary pump sources 240 nm - 14 micron (OPA with additional nonlinear conversion options) At present pulse energies at the sample location for 240-400 nm have been measured in the range of 10-30 µJ. We expect pulse energies of 150-500 µJ between 400 nm and 780 nm; 150-500 µJ between 1 µm and 2.5 µm; 15-30 µJ between 2.5 µm and 14 µm. Pulse durations are expected to be approximately 50 fs fwhm and up to 250 fs for the 2.5 µm to 14 µm range depending on the wavelength. Nearly single cycle THz (~ 1THz center frequency). Preliminary commissioning measurements have measured fields of > 300 kV/cm for nearly-single-cycle pulses with a center frequency near 1 THz. Other center frequencies in the range of 1-2.5 THz are possible but not yet tested.
General information can be found at: Aramis Bernina Experimental Endstations
For questions and further information about Bernina contact: Dr. Henrik Lemke


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PSI User Office

Paul Scherrer Institut
Room WLGA/018
CH-5232 Villigen PSI
Switzerland

Phone +41 56 310 46 66
Fax +41 56 310 32 94
Email: useroffice@psi.ch

Office hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 to 17:00

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