The PtychoProbe Beamline: Bridging Nanoscale Structure and Chemistry for Materials Discovery

The new PtychoProbe beamline at the Advanced Photon Source combines coherent diffraction imaging with nanoprobe capabilities to enable high-resolution mapping of nanoscale structure and composition in complex materials. Operating with 5–30 keV hard X-rays focused to sub-10 nm, PtychoProbe provides trace-element sensitivity through X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and structural resolution approaching the nanometer scale through ptychography. Fast fly scanning (mm/s) and sub-2.5 nm positioning precision allow large-area (10 × 10 mm²) two-dimensional mapping and volumetric imaging of samples up to 3 mm in diameter. With sub-nanometer metrology linking structural and chemical signals, the instrument will open new opportunities for multimodal studies of heterogeneous catalysts, energy materials, semiconductors, and functional nanostructures. By bridging the resolution gap between X-ray and electron microscopy, PtychoProbe will provide a powerful platform for materials research when it becomes available to users in mid-2026.