Abstract

Abstract: In-line phase contrast enables weakly absorbing specimens to be imaged successfully with x-rays, and greatly enhances the visibility of fine scale structure in more strongly absorbing specimens. This type of phase contrast requires a spatially coherent beam, a condition that can be met by a microfocus x-ray source. We have developed an x-ray microscope, based on such a source, which is capable of high resolution phase-contrast imaging and tomography. Phase retrieval enables quantitative information to be recovered from phase-contrast microscope images of homogeneous samples of known composition and density, and improves the quality of tomographic reconstructions. ©2003 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: (340.7460) X-ray microscopy; (100.5070) Phase retrieval References and links 1. U. Bonse and M. Hart, "An x-ray interferometer," Appl. Phys. Lett. 6, 155-157 (1965 237-246 (1972). 12. J. Miao, P. Charalambous, J. Kirz and D. Sayre, "Extending the methodology of x-ray crystallography to allow imaging of micrometre-sized non-crystalline specimens," Nature, 400, 342-344 (1992 14. Gabor, D., "A new microscopic principle," Nature 161, 777-778 (1948) 15. C. Jacobsen, M. Howells, J. Kirz and S. Rothman, "X-ray holographic microscopy using photoresists," J. Opt