Focusing options for a bending magnet beamline

X-ray absorption spectroscopy experiments are the primary scientific focus of the MRCAT bending magnet beamline, 10-BM of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. This technique is used for ex situ and in situ structural characterization of materials, many of which are non-crystalline. An intense X-ray beam is often required for these experiments. This beamline presently operates using a detuned double crystal monochromator system without any focusing. Typically, samples are illuminated by a 0.5 x 0.5 mm2 monochromatic beam with a photon flux in the range of 2 - 9 x 108 photons/s (in the 5 - 33 keV range). In this study, several alternate focusing schemes to capture a large portion of the bending magnet beam are compared. It is shown that, in principle, one can obtain an increase over two orders of magnitude in photon flux. These beamline schemes are outlined comparing them for photon flux, energy resolution, cost, and complexity in design and operation.