Versatility Meets Performance: DECTRIS POLLUX on Idonano XRD instruments

A 15-minute read

On May 19, 2026, we traveled to China to meet our OEM partner IDONANO, a pioneer in China's domestic high-end XRD market. During this visit, we held a workshop giving detailed insights into the features, advantages, and benefits of POLLUX detectors. Following the workshop, we commissioned a prototype and performed the first successful tests of the new POLLUX detector on IDONANO’s laboratory XRD systems. POLLUX is an important milestone in our partnership and will unlock unprecedented performance on IDONANO’s instruments to address emerging challenges in materials science, semiconductor metrology, and nanotechnology.

Integration: Overcoming Hardware Barriers in High-End XRD

Hardware and software integration is always a critical R&D priority for XRD manufacturers. IDONANO already has experience in this area, having successfully integrated DECTRIS MYTHEN and EIGER2 detectors into their systems over the years.

During our recent workshop, DECTRIS Product Manager, Marcus Mueller showed the core abilities of the new POLLUX detector. He focused on its reliable performance, and particularly its versatility to maintain high count rates while drastically improving in energy resolution. Application Scientist Hans Gildenast shared real cases and test data, giving the IDONANO team a practical look at the benefits of the detector’s high energy resolution.

After that, IDONANO’s Chief Scientist Zhaohui Bao and Technical Lead Weixing Zhang sat down with our team to map out the integration process. They worked through the hardware setup, software interfacing, and custom development for specific applications. By the end of the workshop, we commissioned a prototype and performed the first successful tests of the new POLLUX detector on IDONANO’s laboratory XRD systems.

Redefining Laboratory XRD Standards: Meet POLLUX

Designed to deliver the optimal balance between energy resolution, count rate, and active area, POLLUX sets a new benchmark for real-world performance. With dual energy discrimination and excellent resolution, POLLUX effectively suppresses fluorescence and high-energy background, providing clearer signals and better peak-to-background ratios. Its large active area captures more of the beam and covers a wider angular range, enabling faster measurements and improved data quality. Thanks to its superior count rate capabilities, POLLUX enables accurate measurement of high intensities and supports absorber-free reflectometry experiments. POLLUX is highly versatile: Powder X-ray Diffraction (PXRD); Residual Stress Analysis; High-Resolution X-ray Diffraction (HRXRD); Wavelength-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (WDXRF); Small- and Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS/WAXS).

Interview: Advancing High-End XRD Capabilities

During our visit, we sat down with the core team at IDONANO. They shared their perspective on the evolution of high-end XRD and discussed their experience with DECTRIS:

DECTRIS: IDONANO has already successfully integrated several DECTRIS detectors into its systems. Could you share what originally led you to choose us as a supplier, and how you would describe your experience with our products and team over the years?

IDONANO: DECTRIS has a proven track record in X-ray detection technology. Your products consistently offer high sensitivity, stability, and long-term reliability, which ensures excellent data quality. Since the detector is a core component that directly impacts the overall performance of an XRD system, we prioritize product maturity, technical advancement, and reliable long-term support when selecting a partner.

DECTRIS detectors have performed reliably, consistently meeting our requirements for high-quality diffraction data. Additionally, your team has provided prompt technical support, clear communication, and solid project coordination, which has been invaluable as we develop our high-end XRD systems.

DECTRIS: In the laboratory XRD market, what are the most demanding requirements you are currently hearing from customers? And how do you see the POLLUX detector helping IDONANO address these technical challenges?

IDONANO: Today's laboratory XRD users are pushing for better overall detection capabilities, particularly when it comes to complex sample analysis, trace phase detection, and high-background measurements. Customers are paying much closer attention to data quality, lowering their detection limits, and ensuring the reliability of their results.

For example, when analyzing complex samples with a strong fluorescence background, the main challenge is improving the signal-to-noise ratio. The POLLUX detector is highly effective in these specific scenarios. It provides the performance we need to capture clear diffraction data and reliably identify low-concentration phases.

DECTRIS: For OEMs, software and hardware integration is often one of the most demanding phases of R&D. Following your hands-on testing, how did you find the process of integrating POLLUX?

IDONANO: Because the detector control software for POLLUX works exactly like for the EIGER2 series, it significantly reduced the workload required to migrate the new detector into our existing systems. This consistency saved us integration effort and helped shorten our overall development schedule.

For an OEM, having a stable development environment and straightforward API logic, are practical necessities for ensuring a project rolls out smoothly.

DECTRIS: How do you view the market competitiveness of XRD systems equipped with POLLUX detectors moving forward?

IDONANO: In the long term, integrating advanced detectors broadens our capabilities in high-end XRD applications. By working closely with our core component partners, we aim to steadily improve our systems' overall performance, particularly in complex sample analysis, precision measurement, and high-quality data collection. This approach allows us to deliver more reliable and efficient analytical tools to both academic and industrial users.

DECTRIS: How are the demands for high-performance detectors shifting in research and advanced manufacturing? What do OEMs prioritize when selecting a core detector partner?

IDONANO: As research and manufacturing requirements evolve, user expectations are moving beyond single feature metrics toward overall system performance. OEMs still need baseline sensitivity, dynamic range, speed, and stability, but we place increasing weight on how well a detector handles diverse application scenarios.

A practical detector should support a wide range of applications while balancing data quality with integration efficiency, operational stability, and long-term maintainability. When selecting a partner, OEMs typically look at product performance, a clear technology roadmap, straightforward integration, supply chain reliability, and capable technical support.

Looking Ahead

"DECTRIS sets the technical standard in the global detector market, and our years of stable cooperation have proven the quality of their products," stated IDONANO's Technical Lead Dr. Weixing Zhang and Chief Scientist Dr. Zhaohui Bao. "The strong integration capabilities, high energy resolution, and versatility of POLLUX align perfectly with IDONANO’s focus on high-end, precision, and application-specific solutions. This deepened partnership will further enhance the core competitiveness of our equipment, allowing us to provide users with more precise and efficient analytical solutions."

"IDONANO's strong capabilities in instrument integration and market execution are well recognized, and our past collaborations have been highly successful," noted DECTRIS Representative Dr. Mifang Lu in closing. "The mission of POLLUX is to provide faster, more versatile, and reliable detection solutions for laboratory and industrial applications. We look forward to continuing our work with IDONANO, transforming advanced detection technology into competitive commercial products that support development in materials science, semiconductor metrology, and nanotechnology."

Moving forward, DECTRIS will continue serving as a reliable technical partner for global OEMs and helping to drive the industry toward higher standards of analytical precision.

Empowering Global OEMs: Accelerating Next-Generation Equipment

IDONANO's success is a practical example of how DECTRIS supports OEM partners worldwide. Whether you are developing the next generation of high-end laboratory XRD diffractometers or specialized industrial inspection equipment, DECTRIS leverages its deep technological expertise and streamlined integration ecosystem to help you shorten R&D cycles and strengthen your equipment’s competitive edge.

Looking for the right detector solution for your next-generation analytical instruments? Contact our team at sales@dectris.com for detector selection guidance and integration support.