X-ray polarimetry with phase plates

Abstract

Diamond crystals were used as quarter-wave plates (QWPs) and half-wave plates (HWPs) to produce and completely analyze circular and vertical linear polarization of monochromatic x rays from an undulator source (ID10) at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. The horizontal linear polarization state of the forward diffracted beam in the Bragg or Laue geometry was efficiently converted into circular (99%) and vertical polarization (97%) by tuning the crystal conveniently away from the Bragg peak. Also, the combination of two QWPs was used to obtain linear polarization at any desired azimuth (e.g., 95% at 45°). Further, the second QWP and the linear polarimeter were used to completely characterize the polarization state of the circularly polarized beam after the first QWP. High efficiencies at QWPs and HWPs and high transmitted intensity (40%) were achieved with the diamond crystal in the asymmetric Laue geometry.