Coherent X-ray Imaging: Bridging the Gap between Atomic and Micro-scale Investigations
Marco Stampanoni1, Andreas Menzel2, Ben Watts2
1Paul Scherrer Institute CH-5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland; Institute for Biomedical Engineering ETH and University of Zurich Gloriastrasse 35, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland. stampanoni@biomed.ee.ethz.ch.
Chimia
|October 7, 2017
Summary
State-of-the-art X-ray imaging techniques using synchrotron radiation offer high-resolution structural insights. These methods analyze diverse samples, from biological tissues to materials science applications.
Area of Science:
- Advanced materials science and condensed matter physics.
- Biophysics and soft matter research.
Background:
- Partially coherent synchrotron radiation enables novel X-ray imaging modalities.
- Traditional imaging methods have limitations in resolution and contrast.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review cutting-edge X-ray imaging techniques utilizing synchrotron radiation.
- To highlight their capabilities in structural analysis across various scientific fields.
Main Methods:
- Full-field X-ray tomography for 3D structural mapping.
- X-ray ptychography for high-resolution phase and amplitude imaging.
- Scanning small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) for reciprocal space analysis.
- Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) for elemental and chemical mapping.
Main Results:
- These techniques achieve spatial resolutions from microns down to tens of nanometers.
- Contrast mechanisms include absorption, phase shifts, and spectroscopic signals.
- Demonstrated applications in biological sample imaging, foam rheology, and cement composition analysis.
Conclusions:
- Synchrotron-based X-ray imaging provides powerful tools for nanoscale structural characterization.
- The reviewed techniques offer versatile approaches to address complex scientific challenges.
- These advanced methods are crucial for progress in materials science, biology, and beyond.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
X-ray Imaging
10.7K
German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (1845–1923) was experimenting with electrical current when he discovered that a mysterious and invisible "ray" would pass through his flesh but leave an outline of his bones on a screen coated with a metal compound. In 1895, Röntgen made the first durable record of the internal parts of a living human: an "X-ray" image (as it came to be called) of his wife’s hand. Scientists worldwide quickly began their own experiments with...
10.7K
X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples
4.9K
X-ray diffraction or XRD is an analytical tool that utilizes X-rays to study ordered structures such as crystalline organic and inorganic samples, polycrystalline materials, proteins, carbohydrates, and drugs.
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal...
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal...
4.9K
X-ray Crystallography
26.4K
The size of the unit cell and the arrangement of atoms in a crystal may be determined from measurements of the diffraction of X-rays by the crystal, termed X-ray crystallography.
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
26.4K
Atomic Force Microscopy
4.6K
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a type of scanning probe microscopy that can analyze topographic details of various specimens like ceramics, glass, polymers, and biological samples. AFM offers over 1000 times more resolution than the optical imaging system. Images generated from AFM are three-dimensional surface profiles, offering an advantage over the flat, two-dimensional images from other imaging techniques.
The AFM Probe
The probe is regarded as the heart of any AFM setup and comprises the...
The AFM Probe
The probe is regarded as the heart of any AFM setup and comprises the...
4.6K
Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction
2.9K
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can be used to determine the 3D structure of biological samples with the help of techniques such as electron microscope tomography and single-particle reconstruction. While single-particle reconstruction can examine macromolecules and macromolecular complexes in vitro conditions only, tomography permits the study of cell components or small cells in vivo.
Electron Tomography
Electron tomography can be performed either in TEM or STEM (scanning transmission...
Electron Tomography
Electron tomography can be performed either in TEM or STEM (scanning transmission...
2.9K
Overview of Microscopy Techniques
17.1K
The early pioneers of microscopy opened a window into the invisible world of microorganisms. In 1830, Joseph Jackson Lister created an essentially modern light microscope. The 20th century saw the development of microscopes that leveraged nonvisible light, such as fluorescence microscopy that uses an ultraviolet light source and electron microscopy that uses short-wavelength electron beams. These advances significantly improved magnification, image resolution, and contrast. By comparison, the...
17.1K


