cosine continues to push the boundaries of X-ray imaging and exploration with the development of the Silicon Laue Component (SiLC), a new type of focusing element capable of concentrating hard X-rays and soft gamma-rays. Building on the proven Silicon Pore Optics (SPO) technology, SiLCs take a significant step forward by using Bragg diffraction within the crystalline bulk of silicon. This breakthrough makes it possible to apply mass-production techniques to fabricate extremely precise high-energy focusing elements, unlocking new opportunities for next-generation space telescopes and medical applications such as radiotherapy.
When even Silicon Pore Optics (SPOs) can no longer focus X-rays, a Laue lens still can.
cosine has developed the world’s first Silicon Laue Component (SiLC), a precision-engineered crystal structure designed to focus radiation at extremely high energies. Unlike traditional mirrors that reflect light from their surfaces, SiLCs use Bragg diffraction inside the silicon crystal itself, redirecting high-energy X-rays and soft gamma-rays toward a common focal point.
This approach extends the capabilities of SPO technology into the hard X-ray and soft gamma-ray energy range, approximately 80 keV to 500 keV. SiLCs serve as the core building blocks for Laue lenses, a technology long sought after but previously limited by the poor performance and manufacturing challenges of earlier crystal-based concepts.
Building on SPO
Structurally, a SiLC resembles an SPO stack, made of thin silicon plates that are carefully curved and bonded in a stack to maintain their shape. The key difference lies in the gap within the plates: SiLCs are built with minimal pores since diffraction occurs within the bulk of the crystalline material, whereas SPOs rely on open channels to leave room for total external reflection.
A SiLC can be thought of as a composite crystal, whose internal planes are shaped to achieve optimal focusing and spectral response for each application. Their remarkable performance stems from three geometric parameters: a sagittal curvature and a wedge angle that provide focusing power in both the radial and azimuthal directions, and a meridional curvature that defines the bandpass and sharpness of the focus. This unique geometry delivers a focusing efficiency orders of magnitude higher than that of Laue lenses made from mosaic crystals.
Applications and outlook
A SiLC-based Laue lens can be assembled by co-aligning dozens of SiLCs arranged in concentric rings, either to increase effective area in a narrow energy band or to cover a broad spectral range. Such a lens will enable space telescopes to focus and image the universe in previously inaccessible high-energy bands, giving scientists powerful new tools to study the most energetic and extreme cosmic phenomena.
The medical potential is equally promising: SiLCs can form converging beams that minimize exposure to healthy tissue and concentrate radiation exactly where it is needed — paving the way for more precise and effective radiotherapy.
The SiLC was originally developed through a collaboration between cosine and the University of California, Berkeley, and is now being further advanced within a project funded by the European Space Agency (ESA).
About cosine
cosine is a leading worldwide company in the development of space instrumentation, such as Silicon Pore Optics for astronomy and remote sensing solutions with onboard analytics for Earth Observation and planetary science. cosine combines physics and technology to bring out-of-the-box solutions to its clients. cosine has been developing and delivering innovative measurement systems for space and industrial applications since 1998. The company operates more than 1,000 m2 of cleanrooms and high-tech assembly facilities to build and test the systems we produce for customers at our headquarters in Sassenheim, The Netherlands and at subsidiaries in Berlin, Germany and Benevento, Italy.
