Cristallina Beamline
SwissFEL Cristallina-Q endstation
Cristallina is the third endstation of the external page SwissFEL ARAMIS hard X-ray beamline. It serves both quantum science (external page Cristallina-Q) and structural biology (external page Cristallina-MX), enabling the imaging of quantum many-body states under extreme conditions and serial femtosecond protein crystallography, respectively.
The external page Cristallina-MX experimental stations are designed for serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX), and operated by the Cristallina-MX team with the support of the external page Macromolecular Crystallography Group. The SwissMX fixed-target SFX experimental station is in user operations since January 2024. Experimental stations for different means of sample delivery are in conception.
The external page Cristallina-Q experimental stations provide unique high-field and low-temperature capabilities, and are operated by the Cristallina-Q team within the external page Quantum Photon Science Group and in collaboration with the external page Laboratory for Quantum Matter Research of Prof. Johan Chang at the University of Zurich (UZH). Cristallina-Q has been partially funded by UZH, SNSF and PSI via the external page R’Equip scheme. The experimental stations include the Ultralow-T Vectormagnet, open to users since January 2025, and the Pulsed Magnet, which is currently under commissioning. Both experimental stations rely on heavy-load diffractometers to orient the sample in the beam.
The overall Cristallina endstation layout allows for reshuffling of the experimental stations between the X-ray beam experiment position and dedicated preparation areas by sliding the setups over a granite floor by means of airpads. The Cristallina beamline can operate with both pink and monochromatic beam, and provide a variable beam size at the sample position down to smaller than 2 µm using bendable KB mirrors.