The BL46XU beamline of SPring-8 has been reorganized into a beamline dedicated to hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) to meet the increasing demand for various HAXPES based measurements. Two specialized HAXPES instruments, namely, (i) a high-throughput HAXPES system specialized for automated measurements and (ii) an ambient pressure HAXPES system with a focus on measurements under a gas atmosphere, provide advanced capabilities for characterizing bulk-sensitive electronic and chemical states in a variety of research fields. To enhance the capabilities further, several X-ray optical instruments have been introduced. Two types of double channel-cut monochromators Si(220) and Si(311) have been installed in the optics hutch, allowing users to select the optimum energy resolution and flux in a wide photon-energy range (4.9–21.8 keV) while keeping a fixed-exit condition. In addition, a focusing mirror to provide a high-flux microbeam has been arranged for each HAXPES system. In this article, the design and performance of the beamline as well as some recent scientific results are outlined.
Yasuno et al. (2025) studied this question.