Grid-enhanced X-ray coded aperture microscopy with polycapillary optics

Grid-enhanced X-ray coded aperture microscopy with polycapillary optics

Citation

Sowa, K. M., Last, A., & Korecki, P. (2017). Grid-enhanced X-ray coded aperture microscopy with polycapillary optics. Scientific Reports, 7, 44944. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep44944
This citation follows the format for citing journal articles in APA style. 

Keywords

  • Grid-enhanced X-ray coded aperture microscopy with polycapillary optics (XCAMPO)
  • Polycapillary optics
  • Coded aperture
  • Submicron resolution
  • Focal spot
  • Micro X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (μXRF)
  • Resolution chart
  • Depth resolution
  • Decoding artefacts

Brief

Grid-enhanced X-ray coded aperture microscopy with polycapillary optics (XCAMPO) uses an external grid placed on the output surface of polycapillary optics to achieve submicron resolution imaging without relying on the specific microstructure of the optics. 

Summary

The article, published in 2017 in Scientific Reports, introduces a novel X-ray microscopy technique called grid-enhanced X-ray coded aperture microscopy with polycapillary optics (grid-enhanced XCAMPO). This technique uses a standard grid, like those used in transmission electron microscopy, placed at the output of polycapillary optics to achieve submicron resolution imaging. Traditional X-ray microscopy techniques that use polycapillary optics are limited in resolution by the size of the focal spot produced by the optics. Grid-enhanced XCAMPO overcomes this limitation by using the grid as a coded aperture.

Here is how it works: an object is placed within the focal spot of the polycapillary optics, and a magnified image of the grid is recorded by an X-ray camera. When the object is in the focal spot, it distorts the image of the grid. This distorted image can then be mathematically decoded to reveal the structure of the object at a resolution much higher than the size of the focal spot.

Experiments were conducted using a laboratory-based setup to demonstrate the capabilities of grid-enhanced XCAMPO. Results show that the technique can achieve a spatial resolution better than 0.9 μm, significantly exceeding the resolution of conventional projection imaging with polycapillary optics. Additionally, the technique offers a depth resolution of approximately 12 μm for the finest features. The article also discusses the sensitivity of grid-enhanced XCAMPO, demonstrating its ability to image even weakly absorbing objects.

The authors highlight that grid-enhanced XCAMPO is advantageous because it can be implemented with standard polycapillary optics, unlike previous XCAMPO approaches that require specialized and complex optics. They also suggest that with further optimization, a spatial resolution of 250–300 nm could potentially be achieved. The potential of this technique to be combined with other X-ray imaging modalities like micro-X-ray fluorescence (μXRF) and phase-contrast imaging is also discussed. 

Origin: https://www.nature.com/articles/srep44944.pdf

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