Communication: X-ray coherent diffractive imaging by immersion in nanodroplets

Abstract

Lensless x-ray microscopy requires the recovery of the phase of the radiation scattered from a specimen. Here, we demonstrate a de novo phase retrieval technique by encapsulating an object in a superfluid helium nanodroplet, which provides both a physical support and an approximate scattering phase for the iterative image reconstruction. The technique is robust, fast-converging, and yields the complex density of the immersed object. Images of xenon clusters embedded in superfluid helium droplets reveal transient configurations of quantum vortices in this fragile system.

Description
Keywords
Image reconstruction, Iterative methods, Superfluid helium, Coherent diffractive imaging, Immersed objects, Iterative image reconstruction, Nano-droplets, Phase retrieval, Quantum vortex, Superfluid helium droplets, X ray microscopy, X rays
Citation
Tanyag, R. M. P., Bernando, C., Jones, C. F., Bacellar, C., Ferguson, K. R., Anielski, D., et al. (2015). Communication: X-ray coherent diffractive imaging by immersion in nanodroplets. 2(5). https://doi.org//10.1063/1.4933297
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License
CC BY 3.0 Unported