Holotomography versus X-ray grating interferometry: A comparative study

Abstract

X-ray phase-contrast imaging techniques are used at synchrotron facilities to visualize tiny density variations in bulk samples. They overcome the limitations of other non-destructive methods, which often provide insufficient spatial and/or density resolution. Holotomography (HT) and X-ray grating interferometry (XGI) are among the most powerful phase-contrast techniques. Here, we show a direct comparison of HT versus XGI. We find that XGI excels in fidelity of the density measurements and is more robust against low-frequency artifacts, while HT is superior in spatial resolution. This study gives indications for applications and developments of phase-contrast imaging.