Artifacts reduction in high-acutance phase images for X-ray grating interferometry

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Materials Science
• Non-Destructive Testing

Background:

• X-ray grating-based phase retrieval can produce artifacts with objects exhibiting rapid spatial transitions.
• These artifacts are particularly problematic in non-destructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) applications.
• Existing methods struggle to accurately reconstruct phase information for complex material structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a method for artifact reduction in X-ray phase retrieval.
• To improve the accuracy of phase imaging for objects with abrupt intensity variations.
• To enhance the reliability of non-destructive testing using X-ray phase contrast imaging.

Main Methods:

• A novel phase retrieval method was developed, incorporating an interferogram corrected for object intensity variations.
• The method was applied to X-ray microtomography data of a carbon fiber specimen using a single 2D grating.
• Artifact reduction was quantified using the Confidence Map tool, which analyzes phase gradient information.

Main Results:

• The proposed method significantly reduced artifacts in X-ray phase retrieval, achieving a reduction factor greater than 10.
• Experimental validation on a carbon fiber specimen demonstrated the effectiveness of the artifact correction.
• The Confidence Map tool provided reliable error distribution estimation for quantitative evaluation.

Conclusions:

• The developed method effectively prevents artifacts in X-ray phase retrieval for objects with fast spatial transitions.
• This technique offers a substantial improvement for non-destructive testing and evaluation applications requiring accurate phase imaging.
• The integration of intensity correction and advanced error analysis tools enhances the robustness of X-ray phase contrast imaging.