We have developed an experimental apparatus named KOTOBUKI-1 for use in coherent X-ray diffraction imaging experiments of frozen-hydrated non-crystalline particles at cryogenic temperature. For cryogenic specimen stage with small positional fluctuation for a long exposure time of more than several minutes, we here use a cryogenic pot cooled by the evaporation cooling effect for liquid nitrogen. In addition, a loading device is developed to bring specimens stored in liquid nitrogen to the specimen stage in vacuum. The apparatus allows diffraction data collection for frozen-hydrated specimens at 66 K with a positional fluctuation of less than 0.4 μm and provides an experimental environment to easily exchange specimens from liquid nitrogen storage to the specimen stage. The apparatus was developed and utilized in diffraction data collection of non-crystalline particles with dimensions of μm from material and biological sciences, such as metal colloid particles and chloroplast, at BL29XU of SPring-8. Recently, it has been applied for single-shot diffraction data collection of non-crystalline particles with dimensions of sub-μm using X-ray free electron laser at BL3 of SACLA.
KOTOBUKI-1 apparatus for cryogenic coherent X-ray diffraction imaging
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed. Electronic addresses: nakasako@phys.keio.ac.jp; yamamoto@riken.jp; and takahashi@prec.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp.
Present address: RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan.
Masayoshi Nakasako, Yuki Takayama, Tomotaka Oroguchi, Yuki Sekiguchi, Amane Kobayashi, Keiya Shirahama, Masaki Yamamoto, Takaaki Hikima, Koji Yonekura, Saori Maki-Yonekura, Yoshiki Kohmura, Yuichi Inubushi, Yukio Takahashi, Akihiro Suzuki, Sachihiro Matsunaga, Yayoi Inui, Kensuke Tono, Takashi Kameshima, Yasumasa Joti, Takahiko Hoshi; KOTOBUKI-1 apparatus for cryogenic coherent X-ray diffraction imaging. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 1 September 2013; 84 (9): 093705. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4822123
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