Laboratory-based multi-modal X-ray microscopy and micro-CT with Bragg magnifiers

We report on the successful demonstration of X-ray phase contrast microscopy and micro computed tomography (CT) with a Bragg magnifier microscope (BMM) in a laboratory setup. The Bragg magnifiers, constituted by two channel-cut crystals in asymmetric diffraction, produced a 15X magnification of the X-ray beam, thus enabling high resolution imaging to be attained. The angular sensitivity of the crystals was used to implement analyzer-based phase contrast imaging: acquiring images at different angular positions and the three parametric images (apparent absorption, differential phase and scattering) have been obtained. Micro-CT, with resolution of about 5 μm is demonstrated with the same system. The main limitations, as well as the ways to mitigate them, are discussed with the aid of the experimental data. The technique demonstrated herein extends high-resolution, multi-modal, x-ray imaging and micro-CT to compact laboratory setups, with the potential of broadening the reach of these techniques outside the community of synchrotron users.