Lahsen Assoufid has been elected a Fellow of SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics. He is Section Leader for Mirror Multilayer and Metrology in the X-ray Science Division (XSD) Optics and Detectors Group of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory.
Assoufid is acknowledged for his “achievements in metrology and x-ray optics. A leader in the field of x-ray optics and metrology, Assoufid has made significant technical contributions to several aspects of synchrotron x-ray optics, including the design, optical metrology, and in-beam characterization of focusing profiled Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB) mirrors. Especially notable is his development of at-wavelength metrology using coherent diffraction and phase retrieval techniques for characterizing astigmatism/misalignment, focal spot size, and surface aberrations of KB nanofocusing mirrors. This led to a method for systematically aligning the focusing optics at a synchrotron beamline.
“Assoufid developed the first subaperture stitching system for large grazing incidence mirrors used on x-ray synchrotron radiation beamlines, as well as the first fully automated subaperture stitching scanning interference microscope for characterizing x-ray reflective optics, which has been instrumental in advancing the fabrication of hard x-ray nanofocusing KB mirrors at Argonne National Laboratory. In addition, he played a major role in developing the first hard x-ray Montel type KB mirror that generated a two-dimensional spot size in the 150nm x 150nm range. This type of optics promises to greatly advance research and experimental techniques in areas such as nanodiffraction and other high-resolution scanning nanoscopy. For his research in these areas, Assoufid has received a number of awards including three Argonne National Laboratory Pacesetter Awards.
“His work in the larger optics community has been significant. He is an active member of the American Physical Society and the Optical Society of America (OSA). In particular, he organized the first major international workshop for x-ray and neutron optics, which took place at Argonne National Laboratory in 2000 and has since helped organize conferences on x-ray mirror design, fabrication, and metrology as well as co-chaired the OSA Frontiers in Optics conference.
“With SPIE, Assoufid founded, and has chaired since 2003, the Advances in Metrology for X-Ray and EUV Optics conference, and has served as a program committee member and session chair for additional SPIE conferences. He is also a very active member of the SPIE Chicago Chapter, where he has served in leadership positions including president and has led optics educational outreach activities.”
XSD Director Linda Young said, “Not only has Lahsen made noteworthy contributions to x-ray optics and to the broader optics community, he has recently assumed the position of Group Leader for Optics in the X-ray Science Division (XSD). We are proud to have a distinguished leader of the x-ray optics community at Argonne. “
In 2011, SPIE will honor 67 new Fellows of the Society. Fellows are members of distinction who have made significant scientific and technical contributions in the multidisciplinary fields of optics, photonics, and imaging. They are honored for their technical achievement, for their service to the general optics community, and to SPIE in particular.
The Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory is one of five national synchrotron radiation light sources supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. The APS is the source of the Western Hemisphere’s brightest high-energy x-ray beams for research in virtually every scientific discipline. More than 3,500 scientists representing universities, industry, and academic institutions from every U.S. state and several foreign nations visit the APS each year to carry out applied and basic research in support of the BES mission to understand, predict, and ultimately control matter and energy at the electronic, atomic, and molecular levels in order to provide the foundations for new energy technologies and to support DOE missions in energy, environment, and national security.
Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.