A scheme for lensless X-ray microscopy combining coherent diffraction imaging and differential corner holography

Area of Science:

• X-ray microscopy
• Holography
• Diffraction imaging

Background:

• Lensless X-ray microscopy often requires external references for accurate object reconstruction.
• Differential holography typically uses localized reference points, limiting its application.
• Coherent diffraction imaging (CDI) faces challenges with missing data and resolution enhancement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel approach for obtaining real-space holograms in lensless X-ray microscopy.
• To enhance the spatial resolution of reconstructed objects using existing microscopy hardware.
• To overcome data limitations caused by beam stops in X-ray imaging.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing the corners of silicon nitride supporting windows as extended references in differential holography.
• Integrating differential holography with iterative phasing techniques from coherent diffraction imaging.
• Applying these combined methods to lensless X-ray microscopy experiments.

Main Results:

• Successfully obtained real-space holograms of illuminated objects using window corners as references.
• Achieved enhanced spatial resolution in the reconstructed object, approaching 85 nm.
• Overcame issues of missing data caused by beam stops, improving the completeness of reconstructions.

Conclusions:

• The corners of silicon nitride windows serve as effective extended references for differential holography in lensless X-ray microscopy.
• Combining differential holography with iterative phasing significantly improves spatial resolution and data recovery.
• This integrated approach offers a practical and cost-effective method for high-resolution X-ray imaging.