A new diffractometer using a curved position-sensitive detector and its applications to X-ray crystallography

A new curved linear position-sensitive detector has been developed and used in a computer-controlled high-speed data collection system with Weissenberg geometry for X-ray crystallography. This detector system enables one to see the entire Weissenberg diagram on a CRT display monitor in real time. A comparison between refinement results of the room-temperature phase of LiRbSO₄ by this system and a conventional four-circle diffractometer showed that the atomic coordinates almost agree within the experimental errors. A new phenomenon was found with this system: LiRbSO₄ changes into the twin state under external electric field at room temperature.