Course Description This is an advanced course in which we explore the field of Statistical Optics. Topics covered include such subjects as the statistical properties of natural (thermal) and laser light, spatial and temporal coherence, effects of partial coherence on optical imaging instruments, effects on imaging due to randomly inhomogeneous media, and a statistical treatment of the detection of light. Development of this more comprehensive model of the behavior of light draws upon the use of tools traditionally available to the electrical engineer, such as linear system theory and the theory of stochastic processes.

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel5/3/23094/01073023.pdf

Statistical optics

This self-contained, comprehensive book describes the fundamental properties of soft x-rays and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation and discusses their applications in a wide variety of fields, including EUV lithography for semiconductor chip manufacture and soft x-ray biomicroscopy. The author begins by presenting the relevant basic principles such as radiation and scattering, wave propagation, diffraction, and coherence. He then goes on to examine a broad range of phenomena and applications. The topics covered include EUV lithography, biomicroscopy, spectromicroscopy, EUV astronomy, synchrotron radiation, and soft x-ray lasers. He also provides a great deal of useful reference material such as electron binding energies, characteristic emission lines and photo-absorption cross-sections. The book will be of great interest to graduate students and researchers in engineering, physics, chemistry, and the life sciences. It will also appeal to practicing engineers involved in semiconductor fabrication and materials science.

X-Rays and Extreme Ultraviolet Radiation: Principles and Applications

Recent years have seen significant progress in the field of soft- and hard-X-ray microscopy, both technically, through developments in source, optics and imaging methodologies, and also scientifically, through a wide range of applications While an ever-growing community is pursuing the extensive applications of today's available X-ray tools, other groups are investigating improvements in techniques, including new optics, higher spatial resolutions, brighter compact sources and shorter-duration X-ray pulses This Review covers recent work in the development of direct image-forming X-ray microscopy techniques and the relevant applications, including three-dimensional biological tomography, dynamical processes in magnetic nanostructures, chemical speciation studies, industrial applications related to solar cells and batteries, and studies of archaeological materials and historical works of art

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Nanoscale X-ray imaging

A soft X-ray microscope design using partially incoherent light and a sample holder that can be tilted permits three-dimensional ultrastructural imaging of cryopreserved adherent mammalian cells without chemical fixation.

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Three-dimensional cellular ultrastructure resolved by X-ray microscopy

Using Fresnel zone plates made with our robust nanofabrication processes, we have successfully achieved 10 nm spatial resolution with soft x-ray microscopy. The result, obtained with both a conventional full-field and scanning soft x-ray microscope, marks a significant step forward in extending the microscopy to truly nanoscale studies.

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Real space soft x-ray imaging at 10 nm spatial resolution.

Computed tomography based on high-resolution soft x-ray microscopy utilizes the natural contrast for biological specimens provided by the water window (lambda = 2.4 - 4.4 nm) and the high resolving power of zone plate objectives. It is capable of revealing the 3D structure of biological specimens at sub-visible-microscopic resolution. To date, the technique has only been available at synchrotron-based microscopes, which limits the researchers access. In the present paper we demonstrate high-resolution soft x-ray tomography with a laboratory zone-plate-based soft x-ray microscope. The specimen, a diatom mounted on a glass capillary, was reconstructed from a tilt series of 53 images covering 180 degrees using a filtered back projection algorithm. The resolution of the tomogram was estimated to a half period of 140 nm using a differential-phase-residual method. Cryo-fixation, increased source brightness and extended-depth-of-focus objectives are important for pushing the resolution of compact systems for biological samples.

High-resolution computed tomography with a compact soft x-ray microscope.

Soft-x-ray cryotomography allows quantitative and high-resolution three-dimensional imaging of intact unstained cells. To date, the method relies on synchrotron-radiation sources, which limits acce ...

/pdf/laboratory-soft-x-ray-microscope-for-cryotomography-of-1h7alttpix.pdf

Laboratory soft-x-ray microscope for cryotomography of biological specimens

A frequently asked question concerns what a newborn infant can actually see. The contrast sensitivity function of newborn infants is well known, but its implications for the ability of newborns to perceive faces of adults remain unclear. We filtered gray scale animations of facial expressions in terms of both spatial frequency and contrast to correspond to the properties of newborn infants' acuity and showed them to adult participants. We reasoned that if adults were unable to identify the depicted facial expressions, then it would also seem unlikely that newborn infants could identify the same expressions. We found that for the simulated acuity the different expressions could be rather well identified at a distance of 30 cm, but when the distance was increased to 120 cm their discriminability was much degraded. This shows that although the perception of faces and facial expressions can function at the low visual resolution of the newborn infant, it is insufficient for distinguishing faces and facial expressions at moderate distances.

Simulating newborn face perception

Improving the resolution in x-ray microscopes is of high priority to enable future applications in nanoscience. However, high-resolution zone-plate optics often have low efficiency, which makes implementation in laboratory microscopes difficult. We present a laboratory x-ray microscope based on a compound zone plate. The compound zone plate utilizes multiple diffraction orders to achieve high resolution while maintaining reasonable efficiency. We analyze the illumination conditions necessary for this type of optics in order to suppress stray light and demonstrate microscopic imaging resolving 25 nm features.

/pdf/sub-25-nm-laboratory-x-ray-microscopy-using-a-compound-20t9cem3x6.pdf

Sub-25-nm laboratory x-ray microscopy using a compound Fresnel zone plate

A touch-sensitive apparatus operates by light frustration (FTIR) and comprises a light transmissive panel (1) with a front surface (5) and a rear surface (6). Light emitters (2) are optically coupled to the panel (1) at entry ports along a periphery region of the panel (1), and light detectors (3) are optically coupled to the panel (1) at exit ports along the periphery region for detecting light transmitted inside the panel (1). At least one optical sheet (20) is provided on the rear surface (6) in the periphery region. In an outcoupling installation, the light detectors (3) are arranged at the respective optical sheet (20) to receive, on a respective light-sensitive surface (3A), light from the optical sheet (20), and each light detector (3) is arranged with the light-sensitive surface (3A) essentially perpendicular to the rear surface (6). In an incoupling installation, each light emitter (2) is arranged at the respective optical sheet (20) to emit diverging light with a main direction that is essentially parallel to the rear surface (6) such that a portion of the diverging light impinges on the optical sheet (20) so as to define a respective entry port.

Olov von Hofsten

Papers

High-resolution computed tomography with a compact soft x-ray microscope.

Laboratory soft-x-ray microscope for cryotomography of biological specimens

Simulating newborn face perception

Sub-25-nm laboratory x-ray microscopy using a compound Fresnel zone plate

Optical coupling in touch-sensing systems