Soft X-ray grating beamline for secondary-battery analysis

At the request for characterization of secondary batteries, we have designed and constructed a new soft X-ray grating beamline (BL-11) at the SR center of Ritsumeikan University. The BL-11 beamline can cover the photon energy from 50 to 1200 eV by using three different varied line spacing gratings (VLSG), and includes (1) simultaneously applicable, three kinds of detection systems with different probing depth, (2) a compact sample transfer system, and (3) an effective differential pumping system. In order to demonstrate the usefulness of BL-11 for secondary-battery analysis, ex-situ XAFS and in-situ XAFS experiments were carried out for a charge/discharge cycled Li₂MnO₃ cathode and for a LiMn₂O₄ cathode during charge/discharge processes, respectively. (author)