Speckle-based x-ray phase-contrast and dark-field imaging with a laboratory source

Area of Science:

• Coherent X-ray Imaging
• Laboratory-based X-ray Sources

Background:

• Near-field speckles offer potential for advanced imaging techniques.
• Laboratory X-ray sources with enhanced brilliance are crucial for detecting these speckles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the observation and application of near-field speckles using a laboratory X-ray source.
• To introduce novel algorithms for phase and dark-field imaging based on speckle tracking.
• To demonstrate multimodal imaging capabilities using speckle patterns.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a high-brilliance liquid-metal-jet X-ray source for speckle detection.
• Employing speckle patterns for multimodal imaging of demonstrator objects.
• Developing and applying speckle tracking algorithms for phase and dark-field reconstruction.

Main Results:

• Successful observation and application of near-field speckles with a laboratory X-ray source.
• Demonstration of multimodal imaging using speckle patterns.
• Superior performance of speckle tracking algorithms for phase and dark-field imaging compared to existing methods.

Conclusions:

• The enhanced brilliance of laboratory X-ray sources enables near-field speckle detection and application.
• Speckle-based multimodal imaging and advanced phase/dark-field imaging offer significant advantages.
• This work paves the way for new laboratory-based coherent X-ray imaging applications.