Dynamic Coherent Diffractive Imaging with Modulus Enforced Probe and Low Spatial Frequency Constraints

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new dynamic imaging method using X-rays to study fast processes at the nanoscale with high accuracy.

Contribution

A novel dynamic CDI method integrating probe and low-frequency constraints for improved imaging of fast processes.

Findings

Achieved 20 Hz temporal and 13.2 nm spatial resolution in dynamic imaging.

Reconstructed images matched ptychography results, confirming method accuracy.

Method verified through experimental visualization of dynamic processes.

Abstract

Dynamic behavior is prevalent in biological and condensed matter systems at the nano- and mesoscopic scales. Typically, we capture images as “snapshots” to demonstrate the evolution of a system, and coherent X-ray diffraction imaging (CDI), as a lensless imaging technique, provides a nanoscale resolution, allowing us to clearly observe these microscopic phenomena. This paper presents a new dynamic CDI method based on zone-plate optics aiming to overcome the limitations of existing techniques in imaging fast dynamic processes by integrating the spatio-temporal dual constraint with a probe constraint. In this method, the modulus-enforced probe constraint and the temporal correlation of the dynamic sample low-frequency information are exploited and combined with an empty static region constraint in the dynamic sample. Using this method, we achieved a temporal resolution of 20 Hz and a spatial resolution of 13.2 nm, which were verified by visualized experimental results. Further comparisons showed that the reconstructed images were consistent with the ptychography reconstruction results, confirming the accuracy and feasibility of the method. This work is expected to provide a new tool for materials science and mesoscopic life sciences, promoting a deeper understanding of complex dynamic processes.

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