Abstract:
Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) research at the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC) has spanned more than three decades, remaining an indispensable core technique since the first light of the Taiwan Light Source (TLS) at BL17. Over the years, not only has the X-ray photon flux significantly increased, but detector technologies have also evolved to deliver much higher resolution and faster data acquisition speeds; while the early TLS 17A beamline and the collaborative SPring-8 12B beamline utilized drum scanners for image plate readouts, TLS 01C2 initially adopted a Fuji flatbed scanner before achieving a major milestone in 2007 with the integration of the mar345 detector—a fixed image plate system featuring a direct-readout architecture that drastically enhanced experimental efficiency and data resolution. Crucially, the unique capacity of synchrotron radiation to accommodate diverse in-situ experiments is what has enabled researchers to validate scientific hypotheses and publish pioneering discoveries; in this regard, TLS 01C2 successfully provided versatile sample environments—including ultra-high temperatures, cryogenic conditions, and controlled atmospheres—while the utilization of two-dimensional (2D) detectors proved highly advantageous for comprehensively resolving complex diffraction signals in spatial domains. Driven by these advanced capabilities since opening to the user community in 2003, TLS 01C2 has operated successfully for 22 years, hosting more than 1,000 experimental groups and yielding over 600 peer-reviewed publications, including numerous highly influential articles that have significantly advanced materials science. Following this legacy of invaluable contributions, the TLS 01C2 (SWLS) beamline will officially conclude its user services at the end of this year as part of NSRRC’s strategic roadmap to optimize research capabilities. This transition will allow critical resources to be reallocated toward next-generation, high-brilliance facilities, such as the Taiwan Photon Source (TPS), ensuring long-term research competitiveness for our user community. To support ongoing research throughout this transition, NSRRC strongly encourages users requiring X-ray powder diffraction capabilities (including in-situ or grazing-incidence measurements) to transition their upcoming proposals to advanced TPS beamlines, specifically TPS 19A, which offers significantly higher photon flux and advanced resolution tailored for high-resolution powder diffraction and Pair Distribution Function (PDF) analysis, and TPS 20A, which is specifically designed to accommodate advanced diffraction imaging and Grazing-Incidence X-ray Diffraction (GIXRD) requirements.
Keywords – PXRD, TLS 01C2, TPS 19, TPS 20