Shot-to-shot diagnostic of the longitudinal photon source position at the SPring-8 Angstrom Compact Free Electron Laser by means of x-ray grating interferometry.

We present single-shot measurements of the longitudinal photon source position of the SPring-8 Angstrom Compact Free Electron Laser x-ray free electron laser by means of x-ray grating interferometry. The measurements were performed in order to study the behavior of the source under normal operation conditions and as a dependence on the active undulator length. The retrieved experimental results show that x-ray grating interferometry is a powerful in situ monitoring tool for investigating and tuning an x-ray free electron laser.

Wavefront metrology measurements at SACLA by means of X-ray grating interferometry.

The knowledge of the X-ray wavefront is of importance for many experiments at synchrotron sources and hard X-ray free-electron lasers. We will report on metrology measurements performed at the SACLA X-ray Free Electron Laser by means of grating interferometry which allows for an at-wavelength, in-situ, and single-shot characterization of the X-ray wavefront. At SACLA the grating interferometry technique was used for the study of the X-ray optics installed upstream of the end station, two off-set mirror systems and a double crystal monochromator. The excellent quality of the optical components was confirmed by the experimental results. Consequently grating interferometry presents the ability to support further technical progresses in X-ray mirror manufacturing and mounting.

A sensitive x-ray phase contrast technique for rapid imaging using a single phase grid analyzer.

Phase contrast x-ray imaging (PCXI) is a promising imaging modality, capable of sensitively differentiating soft tissue structures at high spatial resolution. However, high sensitivity often comes at the cost of a long exposure time or multiple exposures per image, limiting the imaging speed and possibly increasing the radiation dose. Here, we demonstrate a PCXI method that uses a single short exposure to sensitively capture sample phase information, permitting high speed x-ray movies and live animal imaging. The method illuminates a checkerboard phase grid to produce a fine grid-like intensity reference pattern at the detector, then spatially maps sample-induced distortions of this pattern to recover differential phase images of the sample. The use of a phase grid is an improvement on our previous absorption grid work in two ways. There is minimal loss in x-ray flux, permitting faster imaging, and, a very fine pattern is produced for homogenous high spatial resolution. We describe how this pattern permits retrieval of five images from a single exposure; the sample phase gradient images in the horizontal and vertical directions, a projected phase depth image, an edge-enhanced image, and a type of scattering image. Finally, we describe how the reconstruction technique can achieve subpixel distortion retrieval and study the behavior of the technique in regard to analysis technique, Talbot distance, and exposure time.

X-ray wavefront characterization of a Fresnel zone plate using a two-dimensional grating interferometer.

The x-ray wavefront downstream of a Fresnel zone plate (FZP) was characterized using a two-dimensional grating interferometer. Transverse wavefront slope maps, measured using a raster phase-stepping scan, allowed accurate phase reconstruction of the x-ray beam. Wavefront measurements revealed that the wavefront error is very sensitive to the input beam entering the FZP. A small stack of one-dimensional compound refractive lenses was used to introduce astigmatism in the probing x-ray beam to investigate the contribution of the incoming beam in contrast to the optical aberrations. Experimental data were shown to be consistent with theoretical calculations.

Heat bump on a monochromator crystal measured with X-ray grating interferometry.

Deformation of the first crystal of an X-ray monochromator under the heat load of a high-power beam, commonly referred to as `heat bump', is a challenge frequently faced at synchrotron beamlines. Here, quantitative measurements of the deformations of an externally water-cooled silicon (111) double-crystal monochromator tuned to a photon energy of 17.6 keV are reported. These measurements were made using two-dimensional hard X-ray grating interferometry, a technique that enables in situ at-wavelength wavefront investigations with high angular sensitivity. The observed crystal deformations were of the order of 100 nm in the meridional and 5 nm in the sagittal direction, which lead to wavefront slope errors of up to 4 µrad in the meridional and a few hundred nanoradians in the sagittal direction.

Single-shot analysis of hard x-ray laser radiation using a noninvasive grating spectrometer.

We present a spectrometer setup based on grating dispersion for hard x-ray free-electron lasers. This setup consists of a focusing spectrometer grating and a charge-integrating microstrip detector. Measurement results acquired at Linac Coherent Light Source are presented, demonstrating noninvasive monitoring of single-shot spectra with a resolution of 2.0×10(-4) ±0.3×10(-4) at photon energy of 6 keV with more than 95% transmission of the main beam.

Exploring the wavefront of hard X-ray free-electron laser radiation.

The high photon flux and femtosecond pulse duration of hard X-ray free-electron lasers have spurred a large variety of novel and fascinating experiments in physical, chemical and biological sciences. Many of these experiments depend fundamentally on a clean, well-defined wavefront. Here we explore the wavefront properties of hard X-ray free-electron laser radiation by means of a grating interferometer, from which we obtain shot-to-shot wavefront information with an excellent angular sensitivity on the order of ten nanoradian. The wavefront distortions introduced by optical elements are observed in-situ and under operational conditions. The source-point position and fluctuations are measured with unprecedented accuracy in longitudinal and lateral direction, both during nominal operation and as the X-ray free-electron laser is driven into saturation.

X-ray wavefront characterization using a rotating shearing interferometer technique.

A fast and accurate method to characterize the X-ray wavefront by rotating one of the two gratings of an X-ray shearing interferometer is described and investigated step by step. Such a shearing interferometer consists of a phase grating mounted on a rotation stage, and an absorption grating used as a transmission mask. The mathematical relations for X-ray Moiré fringe analysis when using this device are derived and discussed in the context of the previous literature assumptions. X-ray beam wavefronts without and after X-ray reflective optical elements have been characterized at beamline B16 at Diamond Light Source (DLS) using the presented X-ray rotating shearing interferometer (RSI) technique. It has been demonstrated that this improved method allows accurate calculation of the wavefront radius of curvature and the wavefront distortion, even when one has no previous information on the grating projection pattern period, magnification ratio and the initial grating orientation. As the RSI technique does not require any a priori knowledge of the beam features, it is suitable for routine characterization of wavefronts of a wide range of radii of curvature.

X-ray phase-contrast tomography of porcine fat and rind.

X-ray computed tomography (CT) has recently received increased attention in the food science community. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how grating based phase-contrast CT can provide contrast superior to standard absorption based CT. The method of phase-contrast CT is applied to two samples of porcine subcutaneous fat and rind. The additional contrast obtained may be used for quality testing, to investigate variations in fatty acid composition of the fat-fraction, and density variations in the meat-fraction. The possibility of integrating the method into an abattoir environment is discussed.

A tilted grating interferometer for full vector field differential x-ray phase contrast tomography.

We report on a setup for differential x-ray phase-contrast imaging and tomography, that measures the full 2D phase-gradient information. The setup uses a simple one-dimensional x-ray grating interferometer, in which the grating structures of the interferometer are oriented at a tilt angle with respect to the sample rotation axis. In such a configuration, the differential phase images from opposing tomography projections can be combined to yield both components of the gradient vector. We show how the refractive index distribution as well as its x, y, and z gradient components can be reconstructed directly from the recorded projection data. The method can equally well be applied at conventional x-ray tube sources, to analyzer based x-ray imaging or neutron imaging. It is demonstrated with measurements of an x-ray phantom and a rat brain using synchrotron radiation.

High-resolution tomographic imaging of a human cerebellum: comparison of absorption and grating-based phase contrast.

Human brain tissue belongs to the most impressive and delicate three-dimensional structures in nature. Its outstanding functional importance in the organism implies a strong need for brain imaging modalities. Although magnetic resonance imaging provides deep insights, its spatial resolution is insufficient to study the structure on the level of individual cells. Therefore, our knowledge of brain microstructure currently relies on two-dimensional techniques, optical and electron microscopy, which generally require severe preparation procedures including sectioning and staining. X-ray absorption microtomography yields the necessary spatial resolution, but since the composition of the different types of brain tissue is similar, the images show only marginal contrast. An alternative to absorption could be X-ray phase contrast, which is known for much better discrimination of soft tissues but requires more intricate machinery. In the present communication, we report an evaluation of the recently developed X-ray grating interferometry technique, applied to obtain phase-contrast as well as absorption-contrast synchrotron radiation-based microtomography of human cerebellum. The results are quantitatively compared with synchrotron radiation-based microtomography in optimized absorption-contrast mode. It is demonstrated that grating interferometry allows identifying besides the blood vessels, the stratum moleculare, the stratum granulosum and the white matter. Along the periphery of the stratum granulosum, we have detected microstructures about 40 µm in diameter, which we associate with the Purkinje cells because of their location, size, shape and density. The detection of individual Purkinje cells without the application of any stain or contrast agent is unique in the field of computed tomography and sets new standards in non-destructive three-dimensional imaging.

Two-dimensional x-ray grating interferometer.

We report on the design and experimental realization of a 2D x-ray grating interferometer. We describe how this interferometer has been practically implemented, discuss its performance, and present multidirectional scattering (dark-field) maps and quantitative phase images that have been retrieved using this device.