In 2018, a new Nanoprobe system was installed and validated on the SWING beamline (Synchrotron SOLEIL) for 2D-nano-ptychography with an expected imaging resolution of 40 nm. The setup had been designed to be portable and capable of handling multiscale sample-sizes (from micrometer to hundreds of a micrometer). This system was then successively upgraded to allow for 2D-imaging resolutions of 20 nm, and 3D-nano-tomo-ptychography imaging with spatial resolutions of 50 nm. The end-station is composed of: a sample stage (5DOF), an optical stage comprised of a central stop and a Fresnel zone plate optical (3DOF), an order sorting aperture stage (3DOF). All positioning stages comprise piezo-driven actuators, of which synchronized control (with kinematic modelling) is done using the SOLEIL Delta Tau platform. In addition, fibber interferometry feedback was used for image reconstruction purposes. After the last improvements in 2023, imaging results show that the system can resolve 3D-images with a spatial resolution of 31 nm using a teeth sample (18h of acquisition). This contribution will present an overview of the mechanical design concepts and solutions adopted for the Nanoprobe project.

In preparation for the SOLEIL storage ring upgrade, the SWING beamline has replaced its bendable vertically focusing optic with a state of the art mirror. Acceptance tests were conducted at SOLEIL’s Optical Metrology Laboratory. Driven by two stepper motors with absolute encoders, the mirror enables precise torque control and a wide range of elliptical shapes. This presentation will cover interferometric measurements, motor motion characterization, surface quality assessments, mirror shaping strategies, and calibration for beamline integration. We will detail the use of tiling and stitching methods on a Fizeau interferometer to characterize surfaces with slope errors below 0.1 µrad, crucial for next-generation synchrotron sources. The impact of vibrations and temperature variations on measurements will be discussed, along with mitigation techniques. We will also present topography results, statistical analyses, and the installation process, concluding with initial beamline performance results.

The latest, 4th generation synchrotrons, offer nanometer-scale imaging resolution and fast data acquisition. However, corresponding existing sample manipulators mostly rely on quasistatic actuation principles and are built by stacking straightforward 1 DoF stages. This approach limits dynamics performance and precision. To address this challenge, MI-Partners developed on behalf of and in close collaboration with SOLEIL, a fully actively controlled 6-DoF sample manipulator based on electromagnetic actuation. This system enables fast scanning with nanometer precision, providing translational motions and continuous rotation, for full 360-degree angular tomography reconstructions. The demonstrator was realized as part of the LEAPS-INNOV project. This paper outlines the mechatronic design and development process to achieve first-time-right performance in high-end mechatronic systems. Finally, acceptance test results are presented, demonstrating nanometer-range tracking errors during high-speed 2D scanning modes (step-scan and fly-scan). The manipulator also revealed clear limitations in some commercially available fiber-based displacement interferometer systems.