Determining the Orientation of a Single-Crystal and the Absolute Energy of X-Rays Using Diffraction Losses

The intensity loss of a transmitted beam due to parasitic diffraction (glitches) is an inherent property of single-crystal X-ray optics. This effect can lead to a weakening of the radiation, up to its complete disappearance. Therefore, understanding the effect of diffraction loss is essential for any experiments that use single-crystal optics. We present the theory of glitch formation and demonstrate its application to experimental data to determine the orientation and cell parameters of optical elements made of single-crystal diamond. A systematic error is found in determining the absolute energy of X-ray radiation, which occurs due to the inexact tuning of a monochromator (error in determining the absolute 2θ angle). The described error very often occurs during the experiment due to the fact that determining the absolute 2θ angle of a monochromator crystal is a technically difficult task. Simultaneous determination of the orientation and lattice parameters of the studied sample, together with compensation of the systematic error in the monochromator tuning, made it possible to significantly improve the accuracy of processing the obtained data.