A fast X-ray shutter for high-power beams

We present the development of a piezo-actuated shutter system designed for high-power broadband X-ray beams at fourth-generation synchrotron sources. The device combines a flexure-based mechanical design with efficient water cooling, achieving full open–close transitions in 2 ms while reliably withstanding continuous thermal loads exceeding 20 W. This performance enables safe operation with multilayer monochromators, which introduce higher heat loads than conventional optics such as Si(111) monochromators. The shutter provides an open aperture of 1.9 mm, is fully ultrahigh vacuum compatible, and was validated through mechanical and thermal characterization under realistic operating conditions. Its millisecond-scale actuation allows precise blocking of the beam during idle phases such as sample alignment or repositioning, thereby minimizing radiation damage and maximizing the effective use of the delivered photon flux. This makes the system particularly well suited for high-throughput scanning and imaging techniques, including ptychography, tomography, scanning small-angle X-ray scattering and protein crystallography, on modern synchrotron beamlines.