Abstract
We report on a laboratory X-ray phase-contrast imaging technique based on the edge illumination principle that substantially relaxes the existing limitations on system set up and data acquisition, allowing an increase in tolerance of misalignments by at least two orders of magnitude. The robustness of this approach was systematically studied by means of experiments with our prototype. Numerical simulations were also performed in order to assess the dependence of the image quality on the data acquisition scheme. The results show that errors in the positioning of the masks within a 1° range for all the angles, and within 1 mm range of translation, do not noticeably affect image quality. We also show that, if the misalignment does not exceed few tens of micrometers, three intensity projections are sufficient to effectively retrieve the three representations of the sample, allowing for optimization of dose or time efficiency even with a non-ideal system.
Highlights
We report on a laboratory X-ray phase-contrast imaging technique based on the edge illumination principle that substantially relaxes the existing limitations on system set up and data acquisition, allowing an increase in tolerance of misalignments by at least two orders of magnitude
X-ray phase-contrast imaging (XPCI) extends the potential of conventional radiography by introducing sensitivity to the phase-shifts imparted to the X-ray beam when it passes through the sample,1,2 finding application in areas as diverse as medicine, materials engineering, security screening, and quality control in industry
Edge illumination (EI)4,5 is a non-interferometric XPCI technique enabling the quantitative retrieval of absorption, refraction and ultra-small-angle scattering in the sample, under weak partial coherence
Summary
We report on a laboratory X-ray phase-contrast imaging technique based on the edge illumination principle that substantially relaxes the existing limitations on system set up and data acquisition, allowing an increase in tolerance of misalignments by at least two orders of magnitude. Edge illumination (EI)4,5 is a non-interferometric XPCI technique enabling the quantitative retrieval of absorption, refraction and ultra-small-angle scattering in the sample, under weak partial coherence.6–8 The coherence length is typically around 0.5 lm, much smaller than the characteristics lengths of the optical masks.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
