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About MIRRORCLE Overview & Theory Research PPL Activities Usage of MIRRORCLE X-ray Diffraction, Scattering & XAFS FIR EUV & Soft X-ray X-ray Imaging Product
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Overview & Theory:

Introduction
MIRRORCLE is a new series of affordable laboratory sized commercial synchrotron products. They are the worlds smallest commercial synchrotron radiation sources and are the only brilliant radiation source to provide output in the FIR to hard X-ray range. The extremely brilliant X-rays from MIRRORCLE are beyond the X-ray power capability of any X-ray tube. In fact powerful enought to preform advanced analysis and X-ray imaging making it viable substitute for large fixed synchrotron facilities in many instances.

To achive this capability MIRRORCLE technology employs many novel techniques. This technology allows MIRRORCLE products to be made in a wide array of configurations and sizes thus making it suitable for many end user applications. MIRRORCLE products require very low levels of maintenance and operate in a nearly "appliance" like fashion making them practical for many institutional, laboratory, and industrial environments.

A complete MIRRORCLE synchrotron system includes detector and custom beamlines for various applications.

MIRRORCLE
The range of MIRRORCLE applications.




The graph shows a comparison between MIRRORCLE source and the others one. The comparison of X-ray intensity is carried out using unit Brilliance [photons/sec/mrad2/mm2/0.1%λ].


The graph shows soft X-ray spectrum using MIRRORCLERAY20MeV model.


The upper graph shows FIR power comparison from various sources. The comparison sources are from 8 GeV electron, MIRRORCLE, and MIRRORCLE with optional barrel shaped mirror (tremendously improves FIR performance at low cost).

Overview
Photon Production Laboratory, Ltd. get ready MIRRORCLE products; 6 MeV model: tabletop machine, 20 MeV model: advanced analysis machine, and 4 MeV or 1 MeV model: compact and multipurpose machine.

MIRRORCLE products employ a very small synchrotron as the source of their high levels of output. As a result of this unusual approach, MIRRORCLE products universally possess some very unique beam properties that are in many ways even more desirable than output from large fixed synchrotron facilities. MIRRORCLE products are not only vastly smaller, they are also efficient, opening up many new applications where small size is a prime concern.

For X-ray imaging of microstructure, it is possible that 100 times magnified imaging or X-ray microscopy. Sample don't need to be sliced like SEM or TEM. In the area of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), plastic parts and metal one are photographed at the same time, or concrete bridge can be checked. Some MIRRORCLE products are designed for truly portable applications where they can be transported by truck and used on an extendable boom or crane.

MIRRORCLE products easily surpass the very best rotating anode X-ray tubes in both level of output and quality of X-rays for diffraction or scattering experiments. This provides many researchers with the ability to extend the range of their experiments by using a MIRRORCLE X-ray source. A common feature of all MIRRORCLE products is their upgradeability. This allows an existing unit to take advantage of future of developments with respect to enhancing output.

We believe that MIRRORCLE synchrotrons have tremendous potential in many applications by virtue of their capability, size, cost and radiating broadband source. Finally it is now possible for the synchrotron to go to the application instead of the application having to move to the synchrotron. Now, MIRRORCLE products can provide various applications.



MIRRORCLE 4 MeV model enables Non-destructive testing (NDT) in the field.

About our products
MIRRORCLE products employ a very small synchrotron as the source of their high levels of output. As a result of this unusual approach, MIRRORCLE products universally possess some very unique beam properties that are in many ways even more desirable than output from large fixed synchrotron facilities. MIRRORCLE products are not only vastly smaller, they are also efficient, opening up many new applications where small size is a prime concern. Some MIRRORCLE products are designed for truly portable applications where they can be transported by truck and used on an extendable boom or crane. MIRRORCLE products easily surpass the very best rotating anode X-ray tubes in both level of output and quality of X-rays. This provides many researchers with the ability to extend the range of their experiments by using a MIRRORCLE X-ray source. A common feature of all MIRRORCLE products is their upgradeability. This allows an existing unit to take advantage of future of developments with respect to enhancing output.

We believe that MIRRORCLE synchrotrons have tremendous potential in many applications by virtue of their capability, size and cost. Finally it is now possible for the synchrotron to go to the application instead of the application having to move to the synchrotron.

Q&A on MIRRORCLE light source
Q1) I am interested in material characterization and structure study by X-ray.  Which machine do you reccomend?
A1) MIRRORCLE CV4 is most powerful.  This machine can generate spectral brilliance of 10E14 / s, mrad^2, mm^2, 0.1%BW for X-rays of energy 10keV-4MeV.  The total spectral flux from one target is 10E18 photons/ 0.1%BW, thus with specific focusing mirror we should be able to focus the beam in to 10 micron diameter spot and obtain 10E16 photon density. at 1 m distance.

Q2) We are interested in protein crystallography. Which machine do you recommend?
A2) MIRRORCLE CV4 is the best.

Q3) Can you produce EUV and soft X-rays? Which machine is the best?
A3) Yes we can. MIRRORCLE-CV10 is the best. We will design the machine for you. The size of the machine is almost same as MIRRORCLE-&X. You will see the radiation is more like laser. The radiation spread is 1x 20 mrad^2. The brightness of EUV at 13.5 nm is one KW/mm^2, SR by one target, and the focus point is, let's say' 3um x 1mm. By specific mirrors we can focus the beam to a few micron diameter spot with the density one MW/mm^2 at 1m distance.

Q4) What sort of the resolution do you get on the imaging with X-ray energy higher than 30keV.
A4) With MIRRORCLE-CV1, -CV2, and -CV4, around 5 micro meter is the best ifyou want the good resolution in both direction. But if you need better resolution in one direction we can get 1 micro meter. CV4 is useful for non-destructive testing of heavy materials, micron size cracks in a metal, bridges. The CV1 will be good for the medical imaging.

Q5) I understood that MIRRORCLE-6FIR can generate very bright FIR, which is comparable to the UVSOR coherent FIR source, but from your paper, we learned the you should be able to generate 10 times more. What is the problem you think?
A5) Yes, if the electron beam size becomes millimeter horizontally, we should get this value. Right now our beam size is the order of 10 mm.

Custom Products and Designs
Over many years of refining and perfecting MIRRORCLE technology, Photon Production Laboratory has gained tremendous expertise in a number of areas such as resonance injection, exact circular orbit machines, and microtron accelerators etc. This experience allows us to effectively implement this technology in a fast, cost effective manner. If your project could benefit from our experience please feel free to contact us as we welcome a discussion on the project.

     
Advanced X-ray analysis beamline (The web page is "X-ray Diffraction & Scattering". The photo is taken at Omi MIRRORCLE center.

Brief Summary
MIRRORCLE synchrotrons have two basic components, a classical microtron, and a storage ring. The microtron emits and accelerates electrons up to the design level, and then injects them into the storage ring. Depending on the configuration of the MIRRORCLE synchrotron, a target in the circulating electrons produces X-rays, or a barrel shaped mirror around the orbit collects far infra-red synchrotron radiation.



Microtron Operation
The elegance of MIRRORCLE technology lies in its conceptual simplicity. The emission and acceleration of electrons in the microtron is not unusual by any means. A typical emitter releases electrons under the influence of a strong electric field inside an RF cavity driven by a pulse klystron. The constant magnetic field environment of the microtron causes the electrons to circulate in ever larger orbits as they repeatedly pass through the RF cavity and are accelerated. Once the electrons reach the design level of the microtron, which of course corresponds to the largest orbit made by the electrons, they enter an extraction channel and are injected into the storage ring.

Storage Ring Operation
The MIRRORCLE technology storage ring employs unique proprietary technology to solve the challenges of a small diameter storage ring. The storage ring uses conventional electromagnets to create a magnetic field over the entire circumference of the electron orbit, thus the electron orbit is a perfect circle. The magnetic field provides a focusing action which promotes an ideal orbit.

Unlike a conventional synchrotron where beam life is measured in hours or days, electrons in the storage ring have a comparatively brief existence. This however, is really not an applicable parameter as it would be in a conventional synchrotron as the microtron is continuously injecting electrons into the storage ring. It can be said that the storage ring is continuously being "topped up".

Perhaps most significantly is the use of a device called a perturbator in the storage ring to help corral electrons into a stable circular orbit. Essentially the perturbator temporarily modifies the magnetic field of a small arc of the electron orbit so that it is possible to accept injected electrons. Perturbator design allows for the modification of electron orbits towards the ideal while not interfering with existing electrons in the ideal orbit. The perturbator shapes the trajectory so that the incoming electrons can ultimately assume a stable circular orbit.

Perturbator effect

The storage ring also has an RF cavity that provides remedial energy to electrons so that they maintain their design level energy while circulating. The microtron injection process, perturbator operation, and the RF cavity are all carefully synchronized for the effective operation of the storage ring. Ultimately the storage ring forms a disc of circulating electrons in a stable envelope.

MIRRORCLE hard X-ray output
MIRRORCLE provides high brilliance x-rays by positioning a micrometer sized target in the electron orbit. The resulting collisions generate Bremsstrahlung X-rays. Electrons penetrating the target can continue to circulate in the ring and have the opportunity to collide with the target again, resulting in a high energy conversion rate for MIRRORCLE.

MIRROCLE Bremsstrahlung generating machanism

Using a conventional synchrotron where the electron trajectory is bent by a magnetic field, the required beam energy is close to 8 GeV to generate the equivalent hard X-ray components when compared to MIRRORCLE. Further, the ring size of a conventional synchrotron is invariably large. In comparison, the trajectory of electron beam in MIRRORCLE is altered by the nuclear force of the target atoms. Thus, lower energy electrons can be used as energy source for hard x-ray generation. In addition, the X-ray source size can be smaller than SR.

common synchrotron radiation

A LINAC can also generate hard X-rays, but a large target size is required for useful X-ray output. However, large targets have inherent multi-scattering properties which results in increasing the radiation angle and a reduction in brilliance.

Linac radiation

While it is true an X-ray tube can used with ease in any laboratory, it offers significantly less performance than MIRRORCLE.


MIRRORCLE Far Infra-red Radiation (FIR) Output
PhSR (Photon Storage Ring): Some MIRRORCLE product configurations include a Photon Storage Ring (PhSR). This is an extremely accurate barrel shaped mirror with a reflective inside surface that surrounds the electron orbit.

The PhSR collects synchrotron radiation over the entire perimeter of the electron orbit and a slot in the mirror allows for the collected radiation to escape. A specially shaped secondary mirror channels the radiation from the slot to other mirrors which direct the radiation to the output port on the storage ring.

A key characteristic of the Photon Storage Ring is the reflecting of collected radiation back into the orbiting electrons. This configuration, under certain circumstances, induces lasing and significantly boosts FIR output by orders of magnitude.

PhSR diagram 1

References



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