A microscope for hard x rays based on parabolic compound refractive lenses

TLDR

The authors present a hard‑X‑ray microscope built with parabolic compound refractive lenses that operates from 2 to 50 keV and achieves magnifications up to 50×. The microscope employs genuine imaging lenses with a parabolic profile, analogous to glass lenses for visible light, to focus hard X‑rays. The device resolves 0.3 µm over a 300 µm field (improvable to 0.1 µm), accommodates opaque samples up to 1 cm thick, and enables applications in X‑ray microscopy, tomography, microanalysis, and coherent scattering.

Abstract

We describe refractive x-ray lenses with a parabolic profile that are genuine imaging devices, similar to glass lenses for visible light. They open considerable possibilities in x-ray microscopy, tomography, microanalysis, and coherent scattering. Based on these lenses a microscope for hard x rays is described, that can operate in the range from 2 to 50 keV, allowing for magnifications up to 50. At present, it is possible to image an area of about 300 μm in diameter with a resolving power of 0.3 μm that can be increased to 0.1 μm. This microscope is especially suited for opaque samples, up to 1 cm in thickness, which do not tolerate sample preparation, like many biological and soil specimens.