In-line phase-contrast imaging with a laser-based hard x-ray source

Journal Article · Mon Aug 15 04:00:00 EDT 2005 · Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1989407· OSTI ID:20723095

Toth, R; Kieffer, J C; Fourmaux, S; Ozaki, T; Krol, A ^[1]

---

1. INRS-EMT, Universite du Quebec, Varennes, Quebec (Canada)

We demonstrate the feasibility of phase-contrast imaging with an ultrafast laser-based hard x-ray source. Hard x rays are generated during the interaction of a high-intensity femtosecond laser pulse (10 TW, 60 fs, 10 Hz) focused onto solid target in a very small spot (3 {mu}m diam). Such a novel x-ray source has a number of advantages over other sources previously used for phase-contrast imaging: It is very compact and much cheaper than a synchrotron, it has higher power and better x-ray spectrum control than a microfocal x-ray tube, and it has much higher repetition rate than an x-pinch source. The K{alpha} line at 17 keV produced using a solid Mo target, and the in-line imaging geometry have been utilized in this study. Phase-contrast images of test objects and biological samples have been realized. The characteristics of the images are the significant enhancement of interfaces due to an x-ray phase shift that reveal details that were hardly observable, or even undetectable, in absorption images and suppression of optically dense structures well defined in the absorption images. Our study indicates that the absorption and the phase-contrast images obtained with an ultrafast laser-based x-ray source provide complementary information about the imaged objects, thus enriching our arsenal of research tools for laboratory or clinic-based biomedical imaging.

• OSTI ID: 20723095
• Journal Information: Review of Scientific Instruments, Journal Name: Review of Scientific Instruments Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 76; ISSN 0034-6748; ISSN RSINAK
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ABSORPTION
CONTROL
GEOMETRY
HARD X RADIATION
IMAGES
KEV RANGE 10-100
LASERS
MOLYBDENUM
PHASE SHIFT
PLASMA
PLASMA PRODUCTION
SYNCHROTRONS
X-RAY SOURCES
X-RAY SPECTRA
X-RAY TUBES