Weighted simultaneous iterative reconstruction technique for single-axis tomography

Tomographic techniques play a crucial role in imaging methods such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM) due to their unique capabilities to reconstruct three-dimensional object information. However, the accuracy of the two standard tomographic reconstruction techniques, the weighted back-projection (W-BP) and the simultaneous iterative reconstruction technique (SIRT) is reduced under common experimental restrictions, such as limited tilt range or noise. We demonstrate that the combination of W-BP and SIRT leads to an improved tomographic reconstruction technique: the weighted SIRT. Convergence, resolution and reconstruction error of the W-SIRT are analyzed by a detailed analytical, numerical, and experimental comparison with established methods. Our reconstruction technique is not restricted to TEM tomography but can be applied to all problems sharing single axis imaging geometry. •A new tomographic reconstruction technique W-SIRT was developed.•W-SIRT provides better convergence, higher resolution and smaller reconstruction error compared to established tomographic techniques.•This is demonstrated by a detailed analytical, numerical, and experimental comparison.