title: X-ray microtomography using correlation of near-field speckles for material characterization.
abstract: Nondestructive microscale investigation of objects is an invaluable tool in life and materials sciences. Currently, such investigation is mainly performed with X-ray laboratory systems, which are based on absorption-contrast imaging and cannot access the information carried by the phase of the X-ray waves. The phase signal is, nevertheless, of great value in X-ray imaging as it is complementary to the absorption information and in general more sensitive to visualize features with small density differences. Synchrotron facilities, which deliver a beam of high brilliance and high coherence, provide the ideal condition to develop such advanced phase-sensitive methods, but their access is limited. Here we show how a small modification of a laboratory setup yields simultaneously quantitative and 3D absorption and phase images of the object. This single-shot method is based on correlation of X-ray near-field speckles and represents a significant broadening of the capabilities of laboratory-based X-ray tomography.
authors.affiliation: Physik-Department and Institut für Medizintechnik, Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany; Diamond Light Source, Didcot OX11 0DE, United Kingdom; irene.zanette@diamond.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zanette
authors.affiliation: Diamond Light Source, Didcot OX11 0DE, United Kingdom; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: Marie-Christine
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Zdora
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics, Royal Institute of Technology, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden;
authors.forename: Tunhe
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics, Royal Institute of Technology, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden;
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burvall
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics, Royal Institute of Technology, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden;
authors.forename: Daniel H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thibault
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics, Royal Institute of Technology, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden;
authors.forename: Hans M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Hertz
authors.affiliation: Physik-Department and Institut für Medizintechnik, Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany; Institut für Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
keywords: X-ray imaging; microtomography; near-field speckles; phase-contrast imaging; refractive index measurement