First infrared beamline at the ALS: design, construction, and initial commissioning

Abstract

The first IR beamline at the advanced light source, Beamline 1.4, is described. The design of the optical and mechanical systems are discussed, including choices and tradeoffs. The initial commissioning of the beamline is reported. The beamline, while designed primarily for IR microscopy and only initially instrumented for microscopy (with a Nicolet interferometer and microscope), will have the potential for surface science experiments at grazing incidence, and time- resolved visible spectroscopy.