Single-crystal X-ray diffraction and resonant X-ray magnetic scattering at helium-3 temperatures in high magnetic fields at beamline P09 at PETRA III

The resonant scattering and diffraction beamline P09 at PETRA III at DESY is equipped with a 14 T vertical field split-pair magnet. A helium-3 refrigerator is available that can be fitted inside the magnet's variable-temperature insert. Here the results of a series of experiments aimed at determining the beam conditions permitting operations with the He-3 insert are presented. By measuring the tetragonal-to-orthorhombic phase transition occurring at 2.1 K in the Jahn-Teller compound TmVO₄, it is found that the photon flux at P09 must be attenuated down to 1.5 × 10⁹ photons s^-1 for the sample to remain at temperatures below 800 mK. Despite such a reduction of the incident flux and the subsequent use of a Cu(111) analyzer, the resonant X-ray magnetic scattering signal at the Tm L_III absorption edge associated with the spin-density wave in TmNi₂B₂C below 1.5 K is intense enough to permit a complete study in magnetic field and at sub-Kelvin temperatures to be carried out.