In a breakthrough that could reshape the landscape of X-ray technology, researchers at Nagoya University in Japan unveiled a groundbreaking deformable mirror. This innovative mirror, crafted from a single-crystal lithium niobate (LN) wafer, allows for unprecedented control over X-ray beams, opening doors to more precise imaging and analysis.
The team's ingenuity lies in harnessing the piezoelectric properties of lithium niobate. This allows the mirror to deform with atomic precision under an electric field, enabling real-time adjustment of X-ray beam sizes by an astounding factor of 3,400. This advancement surpasses the limitations of traditional rigid mirrors, which restrict adaptability in dynamic experimental settings.
The mirror's compact design and minimal thickness of 0.5 mm enhance its performance and ease of integration into various experimental setups. Takato Inoue, a key researcher, anticipates that this technology will significantly expand the possibilities for experiments utilizing synchrotron radiation. Potential applications span materials science, engineering, and industrial sectors, including high-power laser experimentation.