Rocking curve imaging for diamond radiator crystal selection

The combination of low atomic number, high crystal packing density, and very high Debye temperature makes diamond the best material for use as a bremsstrahlung radiator in the coherent bremsstrahlung (CB) process, a process that is uniquely suited for generating highly polarized high-energy photon beams for photonuclear experiments. The crystal quality of the diamond radiator has a vital effect on the polarization and other properties of the photon beam and the best large-area diamond monocrystals currently available, both natural and synthetic, contain many defects that can degrade their performance as CB radiators. The diamonds used for this study were synthetic type Ib samples produced through the HPHT process by the firm Element Six. They were examined using the double crystal rocking curve imaging method in a synchrotron X-ray beam. Dislocation densities were calculated from the measured rocking curve peak position maps in the way proposed by Ferrari et al. [1]. It is shown that dislocation is one major defect that affects the rocking curve width in local regions. The most significant contribution to the whole-crystal rocking curve width for thin crystals is the systematic variation of the peak position across its surface. This is interpreted in terms of a large-scale bending of the entire crystal. Data supporting this interpretation are presented, and possible explanations for the bending and methods for its mitigation are discussed.