SPO

Silicon Pore Optics

Compact, lightweight, and modular, Silicon Pore Optics are an innovative solution to an old problem: focusing and collimating X-ray photons. Originally developed to make the construction of a large X-ray astrophysical telescope possible, Silicon Pore Optics find applications in any field where collection efficiency of high energy photons and imaging performance must be made to work together. With sagittal radii from 250 mm to 1.5 m and focal lengths upward of several meters, Silicon Pore Optics can provide the solution to your high-energy photon problem.

Possible applications

Radiotherapy

Accurate delivery of a dose of high-energy photons improves the effectiveness of tumor treatment, as the damage to healthy cells nearby can be minimized. Laue lenses can be built with the same techniques and materials used to build Silicon Pore Optics. Laue lenses can concentrate the high-energy photons commonly used in radiotherapy into a small volume, and are therefore ideally suited to enable progress in this field.

Neutron imaging: beyond high-energy photons

Neutron imaging has applications in material sciences and biology. The design of a neutron focusing lens is identical to that required for X-rays. Silicon Pore Optics can provide the required neutron focusing capabilities.

Applications

• X-ray astronomy
• Pulsar navigation
• Nuclear explosions and cosmic particles in Earth atmosphere
• Beam line, medical and material analysis X-ray equipment

Availability

• Technology has TRL 5-6 for space applications
• Built to order
• Delivery time 1 week per module
• Lead time for focal length != 15 m is 9 months
• Image resolution below 15 arcsec is under development

More information

Please see our cosine High Energy Optics website for more information or contact Dipl.-Ing Max Collon.