HERMES is a phase III beamline dedicated to X-ray microscopy. It combines two types of microscopy. The first one is a Photon-Photon microscopy: Scanning Transmission X-Ray Microscopy (STXM). The second type is Photo-Electron microscopy: X-Ray Photoemitted ElectronMicroscopy (X-PEEM). This original approach offers to users two very complementary techniques, each one being adapted to specific sample environments.  

The STXM essentially enables to probe the sample volume’s properties, with depths of analysis around few hundred nanometers. Besides, X-PEEM  is a surface sensitive technique adapted to an ultra-vacuum environment. It mainly enables to scan the surface’s first few nanometers.
Both techniques carry out X-Ray spectroscopy as a contrast method, in this case a chemical contrast.     
Alongside, other contrast means can be added by making use of the spectroscopic techniques’ specificities. Thus, using circular and linear polarization of light gives an access to magnetic domains, ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic (XMCD and XMLD)…
Finally, both methods can be used not only to get images of samples, but also to realize some measurement in local spectroscopy (XAS, XANES, XPS, ARPES…) at a nanoscopic scale.