A dedicated endstation for waveguide-based x-ray imaging

Abstract

X-ray microscopy has emerged as a powerful and versatile imaging technique in many fields of science over the last years, offering insights in opaque media at high spatial resolution. A major challenge remains the fabrication of suitable X-ray lenses, e.g., Fresnel zone plates or compound refractive lenses. In an alternative approach of a lensless imaging scheme the sample is illuminated by a coherent X-ray beam. The sample information is then reconstructed from the recorded diffraction signal by numerical iterative algorithms. Within this thesis the basics of lensless holographic imaging with X-Ray waveguides are summarised and extended to the concept of waveguide-based X-ray interferometry. The specific instrumentation required for the conceptual experiments of waveguide-based holographic imaging is explained and illustrated by the obtained results. Based on the results of these conceptual experiments a dedicated synchrotron endstation for waveguide-based holographic imaging was designed and built. The specifications and properties of the Kirkpatrick-Baez focussing mirrors and other mechanical and optical components are described in detail, along with the instrument control system and various available detectors. First commissioning results prove the imaging abilities of the presented endstation.