A wave optics model for the effect of partial coherence on coherent diffractive imaging.

Area of Science:

• X-ray optics
• Coherent diffractive imaging
• Nanoscale imaging

Background:

• Fourth-generation synchrotron sources enable advanced nanoscale imaging.
• Partial coherence of X-rays significantly impacts Coherent Diffractive Imaging (CDI) quality.
• Accurate modeling of coherence is vital for optimizing CDI experiments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a wave optics model for analyzing partial coherence effects in CDI.
• To simulate light field distribution and coherence properties for a specific beamline.
• To establish quantitative criteria for achieving high-quality CDI reconstructions.

Main Methods:

• Developed a wave optics model incorporating source size and optical element effects.
• Simulated light field distribution and inter-point coherence.
• Performed plane-wave CDI simulations to assess image quality.

Main Results:

• The model accurately simulates CDI experiments under partial coherence.
• High image quality for complex samples requires interference fringe visibility > 0.95.
• Partial coherence significantly influences reconstructed image fidelity.

Conclusions:

• The proposed wave optics model is effective for understanding partial coherence in CDI.
• Maintaining high fringe visibility is essential for reliable 3D structure determination using CDI.
• This work provides critical insights for optimizing future synchrotron-based nanoscale imaging.