High resolution and sensitivity bi-directional x-ray phase contrast imaging using 2D Talbot array illuminators

TL;DR

This paper introduces 2D Talbot array illuminators for high-resolution, high-contrast x-ray phase imaging of soft tissue, enabling detailed 3D imaging and potential applications in microscopy and wavefront sensing.

Contribution

Design, fabrication, and evaluation of novel 2D Talbot array illuminators for enhanced x-ray phase contrast imaging at 10-20keV energies.

Findings

Achieved 3μm resolution in x-ray phase computed tomography of murine artery.

Demonstrated differential phase and dark-field imaging with phase sensitivity.

Compared performance of TAIs with other wavefront markers, showing advantages in period and flux efficiency.

Abstract

Two-dimensional Talbot array illuminators (TAIs) were designed, fabricated, and evaluated for high-resolution high-contrast x-ray phase imaging of soft tissue at 10-20keV. The TAIs create intensity modulations with a high compression ratio on the micrometer scale at short propagation distances. Their performance was compared with various other wavefront markers in terms of period, visibility, flux efficiency and flexibility to be adapted for limited beam coherence and detector resolution. Differential x-ray phase contrast and dark-field imaging were demonstrated with a one-dimensional, linear phase stepping approach yielding two-dimensional phase sensitivity using Unified Modulated Pattern Analysis (UMPA) for phase retrieval. The method was employed for x-ray phase computed tomography reaching a resolution of 3$\mu$m on an unstained murine artery. It opens new possibilities for three-dimensional, non-destructive, and quantitative imaging of soft matter such as virtual histology. The phase modulators can also be used for various other x-ray applications such as dynamic phase imaging, super-resolution structured illumination microscopy, or wavefront sensing.