Diffractive X-ray Telescopes

TL;DR

Diffractive X-ray telescopes could revolutionize astronomical imaging with ultra-high resolution, but face technical challenges like long focal lengths and limited bandwidth that hinder their immediate use.

Contribution

This paper reviews the development status and challenges of diffractive X-ray telescopes, highlighting potential solutions for future implementation.

Findings

Potential for micro-arc-second resolution imaging.

Main challenges include long focal lengths and stability issues.

Review of technological progress and future prospects.

Abstract

Diffractive X-ray telescopes using zone plates, phase Fresnel lenses, or related optical elements have the potential to provide astronomers with true imaging capability with resolution several orders of magnitude better than available in any other waveband. Lenses that would be relatively easy to fabricate could have an angular resolution of the order of micro-arc-seconds or even better, that would allow, for example, imaging of the distorted space- time in the immediate vicinity of the super-massive black holes in the center of active galaxies What then is precluding their immediate adoption? Extremely long focal lengths, very limited bandwidth, and difficulty stabilizing the image are the main problems. The history, and status of the development of such lenses is reviewed here and the prospects for managing the challenges that they present are discussed.