The Optics group is responsible for the optical design of the beamlines of the synchrotron light source Sirius and for the optical metrology of its elements (mirrors, gratings, crystals).

The group defines the optical concept of a beamline based on the requirements of the research to be carried out in the facility. Different optical concepts are optimized both by analytical calculations and by ray-tracing and wave propagation simulations. In addition, the Optics group develops new simulation tools, which effectively reduce the time to complete the optical project.

The group also operates an optical metrology laboratory installed in an ISO 7 clean room (class 10,000), where the surface quality of the optical elements is checked before installation. A Long Trace Profiler (LTP) and a Fizeau interferometer are available to characterize surface height (1 nm RMS) and slope (50 nrad RMS) errors with atomic precision. The constant improvement and development of metrological instrumentation prepares LNLS to characterize optical elements with even more restrictive tolerances in the future.

After the final installation of the optical elements, the group members accompany and support the commissioning of the beamline in order to ensure that the design requirements are met.