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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Synchrotron X-ray Microdiffraction and Fluorescence Imaging of Mineral and Rock Samples
Published on: June 19, 2018
Demonstration of x-ray microscopy with an x-ray laser operating near the carbon K edge
Abstract:
High-brightness and short-pulse-width ( approximately 200 ps) x-ray lasers offer biologists the possibility of high-resolution three-dimensional imaging of specimens in an aqueous environment without the blurring effects associated with natural motions. As a first step toward developing the capabilities of this type of x-ray microscopy we have used a tantalum x-ray laser (lambda = 4.483 nm) together with an x-ray zone plate lens to image a test pattern. The observed image shows a detector-limited resolution of approximately 75 nm and paves the way to three dimensional biological imaging with high spatial resolution (20-30 nm).
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