High-flux normal incidence monochromator for circularly polarized synchrotron radiation

A 6.5-m normal incidence monochromator installed at the storage ring BESSY, which is optimized for a high throughput of circularly polarized off-plane radiation at moderate resolution is described. The monochromator employs two exit slits and is specially designed and used for low-signal experiments such as spin- and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy on solids, adsorbates, free atoms, and molecules. The Monk–Gillieson mounting (plane grating in a convergent light beam) allows for large apertures with relatively little astigmatism. With two gratings, a flux of more than 1011 photons s−1 bandwidth−1 (0.2–0.5 nm) with a circular polarization of more than 90% in the wavelength range from 35 to 675 nm is achieved.