BM23 is the general-purpose EXAFS bending-magnet beamline at the ESRF, replacing the former BM29 beamline in the framework of the ESRF upgrade. Its mission is to serve the whole XAS user community by providing access to a basic service in addition to the many specialized instruments available at the ESRF. BM23 offers high signal-to-noise ratio EXAFS in a large energy range (5-75 keV), continuous energy scanning for quick-EXAFS on the second timescale and a micro-XAS station delivering a spot size of 4 mm  4 mm FWHM. It is a user-friendly facility featuring a high degree of automation, online EXAFS data reduction and a flexible sample environment.

The ID21 Scanning X-ray Microscope (SXM) is optimized for micro-spectroscopy with submicron resolution in the 2 to 9.5 keV energy range. After a brief description of the microscope setup, we present here recent developments, in particular, the latest version of the compact Wavelength Dispersive Spectrometer and the refurbished cryo-stage.

We present an instrument for dark-field x-ray microscopy installed on beamline ID06 of the ESRF — the first of its kind. Dark-field x-ray microscopy uses full field illumination of the sample and provides three-dimensional (3D) mapping of micro-structure and lattice strain in crystalline matter. It is analogous to dark-field electron microscopy in that an objective lens magnifies diffracting features of the sample. The use of high-energy synchrotron x-rays, however, means that these features can be large and deeply embedded. 3D movies can be acquired with a time resolution of seconds to minutes. The field of view and spatial resolution can be adapted by simple reconfiguration of the x-ray objective lens, reaching spatial and angular resolution of 30-100 nm and 0.001°, respectively. The instrument furthermore allows pre-characterization of samples at larger length scales using 3DXRD or DCT, such that a region of interest (e.g. a single grain) can be selected for high-resolution studies without the need to dismount the sample. As examples of applications we show work on mapping the subgrains in plastically deformed iron and aluminum alloys, mapping domains and strain fields in ferroelectric crystals, and studies of biominerals. This ability to directly characterize complex, multi-scale phenomena in-situ is a key step towards formulating and validating multi-scale models that account for the entire heterogeneity of materials. As an outlook, we discuss future prospects for such multi-scale characterization by combining DFXM with 3DXRD/DCT, and coherent x-ray methods for coarser and finer length-scales, respectively.

The new implementation of QEXAFS acquisition on the general purpose EXAFS beamline BM29 at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility is presented.

The characteristics of a new ferroelectric measurement system at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility are presented. The electric-field-induced phase transitions of Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb(2/3))O(3)-xPbTiO(3) are determined via in situ measurements of electric polarization within the synchrotron diffraction beamline. Real-time data collection methods on single-crystal samples are employed as a function of frequency to determine the microstructural origin of piezoelectric effects within these materials, probing the dynamic ferroelectric response.