X-ray radiographic absorption imaging is an invaluable tool in medical diagnostics and materials science. For biological tissue samples, polymers or fibre composites, however, the use of conventional X-ray radiography is limited due to their weak absorption. This is resolved at highly brilliant X-ray synchrotron or micro-focus sources by using phase-sensitive imaging methods to improve the contrast1,2. However, the requirements of the illuminating radiation mean that hard-X-ray phase-sensitive imaging has until now been impractical with more readily available X-ray sources, such as X-ray tubes. In this letter, we report how a setup consisting of three transmission gratings can efficiently yield quantitative differential phase-contrast images with conventional X-ray tubes. In contrast with existing techniques, the method requires no spatial or temporal coherence, is mechanically robust, and can be scaled up to large fields of view. Our method provides all the benefits of contrast-enhanced phase-sensitive imaging, but is also fully compatible with conventional absorption radiography. It is applicable to X-ray medical imaging, industrial non-destructive testing, and to other low-brilliance radiation, such as neutrons or atoms.

http://xrm.phys.northwestern.edu/research/pdf_papers/2006/pfeiffer_naturephys_2006.pdf

Phase retrieval and differential phase-contrast imaging with low-brilliance X-ray sources

We demonstrate simultaneous phase and amplitude extraction from a single defocused image of a homogeneous object. Subject to the assumptions explicitly stated in the derivation, the algorithm solves the twin-image problem of in-line holography and is capable of analysing data obtained using X-ray microscopy, electron microscopy, neutron microscopy or visible-light microscopy, especially as they relate to defocus and point projection methods. Our simple, robust, non-iterative and computationally efficient method is applied to data obtained using an X-ray phase contrast ultramicroscope.

Simultaneous phase and amplitude extraction from a single defocused image of a homogeneous object

Using a high-efficiency grating interferometer for hard X rays (10-30 keV) and a phase-stepping technique, separate radiographs of the phase and absorption profiles of bulk samples can be obtained from a single set of measurements. Tomographic reconstruction yields quantitative three-dimensional maps of the X-ray refractive index, with a spatial resolution down to a few microns. The method is mechanically robust, requires little spatial coherence and monochromaticity, and can be scaled up to large fields of view, with a detector of correspondingly moderate spatial resolution. These are important prerequisites for use with laboratory X-ray sources.

/pdf/x-ray-phase-imaging-with-a-grating-interferometer-4px897qwex.pdf

X-ray phase imaging with a grating interferometer.

Imaging with visible light today uses numerous contrast mechanisms, including bright- and dark-field contrast, phase-contrast schemes and confocal and fluorescence-based methods. X-ray imaging, on the other hand, has only recently seen the development of an analogous variety of contrast modalities. Although X-ray phase-contrast imaging could successfully be implemented at a relatively early stage with several techniques, dark-field imaging, or more generally scattering-based imaging, with hard X-rays and good signal-to-noise ratio, in practice still remains a challenging task even at highly brilliant synchrotron sources. In this letter, we report a new approach on the basis of a grating interferometer that can efficiently yield dark-field scatter images of high quality, even with conventional X-ray tube sources. Because the image contrast is formed through the mechanism of small-angle scattering, it provides complementary and otherwise inaccessible structural information about the specimen at the micrometre and submicrometre length scale. Our approach is fully compatible with conventional transmission radiography and a recently developed hard-X-ray phase-contrast imaging scheme. Applications to X-ray medical imaging, industrial non-destructive testing and security screening are discussed.

Hard-X-ray dark-field imaging using a grating interferometer

Because the refractive index for hard x rays is slightly different from unity, the optical phase of a beam is affected by transmission through an object. Phase images can be obtained with extreme instrumental simplicity by simple propagation provided the beam is coherent. But, unlike absorption, the phase is not simply related to image brightness. A holographic reconstruction procedure combining images taken at different distances from the specimen was developed. It results in quantitative phase mapping and, through association with three-dimensional reconstruction, in holotomography, the complete three-dimensional mapping of the density in a sample. This tool in the characterization of materials at the micrometer scale is uniquely suited to samples with low absorption contrast and radiation-sensitive systems.

/pdf/holotomography-quantitative-phase-tomography-with-micrometer-56kknqhnf9.pdf

Holotomography: Quantitative phase tomography with micrometer resolution using hard synchrotron radiation x rays.

Coherent properties of the x-ray beam delivered at the ESRF allow the observation of very weak perturbations of the wave front, resulting in the phase contrast. A straightforward experimental setup for phase contrast imaging is proposed and used to record holographic images from organic samples of 10-100 pm at energy lo-50 keV with the contrast up to 50%-100%. The theory of phase contrast imaging is considered and some theoretical estimations are made to reveal the performance of the proposed technique in terms of resolution, sensitivity, geometrical requirements, and ehergy range applicability. It is found that for carbon-based fibers a detectable size with 2% contrast is 0.1 ,um for 10 keV and - 1 pm for 100 keV, It is demonstrated that the fine interference structure of the image is very sensitive to the shape, density variation, and internal structure of the sample. Some prospects for the practical use and future development of the new coherent techniques such as phase contrast microscopy, microtomography, holography, and interferometry at high energies are also discussed. 0 I995 American Institute of Physics.

/pdf/on-the-possibilities-of-x-ray-phase-contrast-microimaging-by-1q7x5a26ui.pdf

On the possibilities of x-ray phase contrast microimaging by coherent high-energy synchrotron radiation

For the first time, single-crystal diamond planar refractive lenses have been fabricated by laser micromachining in 300 µm-thick diamond plates which were grown by chemical vapour deposition. Linear lenses with apertures up to 1 mm and parabola apex radii up to 500 µm were manufactured and tested at the ESRF ID06 beamline. The large acceptance of these lenses allows them to be used as beam-conditioning elements. Owing to the unsurpassed thermal properties of single-crystal diamond, these lenses should be suitable to withstand the extreme flux densities expected at the planned fourth-generation X-ray sources.

Large-acceptance diamond planar refractive lenses manufactured by laser cutting

We report a multilens X-ray interferometer consisting of six parallel arrays of planar compound refractive lenses, each of which creates a diffraction limited beam under coherent illumination Overlapping such coherent beams produces an interference pattern demonstrating substantially strong longitudinal functional dependence The interference fringe pattern produced by multilens interferometer was described by Talbot imaging formalism Theoretical analysis of the interference pattern formation was carried out and corresponding computer simulations were performed The proposed multilens interferometer was experimentally tested at ID06 ESRF beamline in the X-ray energy range from 10 to 30 keV The experimentally recorded fractional Talbot images are in a good agreement with computer simulations

X-ray multilens interferometer based on Si refractive lenses.

Linear parabolic diamond refractive lenses are presented, designed to withstand high thermal and radiation loads coming from upgraded accelerator X-ray sources. Lenses were manufactured by picosecond laser treatment of a high-quality single-crystal synthetic diamond. Twelve lenses with radius of curvature at parabola apex R = 200 µm, geometrical aperture A = 900 µm and length L = 1.5 mm were stacked as a compound refractive lens and tested at the ESRF ID06 beamline. A focal spot of size 2.2 µm and a gain of 20 were measured at 8 keV. The lens profile and surface quality were estimated by grating interferometry and X-ray radiography. In addition, the influence of X-ray glitches on the focusing properties of the compound refractive lens were studied.

Sergey Kuznetsov

Papers

On the possibilities of x-ray phase contrast microimaging by coherent high-energy synchrotron radiation

Large-acceptance diamond planar refractive lenses manufactured by laser cutting

X-ray multilens interferometer based on Si refractive lenses.

Linear parabolic single-crystal diamond refractive lenses for synchrotron X-ray sources

Short-focus silicon parabolic lenses for hard X-rays