X-Ray Phase-Contrast Microscope: Theory and Computer Experiment

A new method of X-ray microscopy using synchrotron radiation is theoretically analyzed. The method is based on the concepts of near-field phase contrast and nanofocusing using a planar compound refractive lens, which forms a secondary source with a small transverse size at a short distance from the sample. A computer experiment on imaging a two-dimensional photonic crystal with a period of 0.5 µm has been carried out. A universal program has been developed for carrying out computer experiments in the field of coherent X-ray optics. It is shown that the method proposed is characterized by high resolution, locality, and large luminosity; it is also weakly sensitive to the transverse size of a real synchrotron radiation source. The experimental setup may be rather compact and provide image magnification by a factor of more than 100.