Hard X-ray microscopy using multilayer Laue lenses has been selected as a Featured Article in Applied Physics Letters

Hard X-ray microscopy using multilayer Laue lenses has been selected as a Featured Article in Applied Physics Letters

Researchers from the Institute for Photon Science and Synchrotron Radiation (IPS) at KIT, the Center for Free Electron Lasers (CFEL), DESY, and the University of Hamburg have published their new results in the field of hard X-ray microscopy. Their recent publication in Applied Physics Letters has been selected as a Featured Article by the journal editors, highlighting the significance of the presented approach.

The study introduces hard X-ray holographic projection microscopy based on high-numerical-aperture multilayer Laue lenses (MLLs) combined with single-photon-counting detection. The method enables efficient, high-resolution, photon-noise-limited phase-contrast imaging at high photon energies and achieves a spatial resolution of 50 nm at 30 keV at the PETRA III synchrotron facility.

The development provides new opportunities for hierarchical imaging of strongly absorbing and radiation-sensitive samples and represents an important milestone for the HIKA (Hierarchical Imaging Karlsruhe) concept. HIKA is a collaborative effort between KIT and DESY to establish a dedicated synchrotron station for hierarchical X-ray imaging capabilities across multiple length scales.

Publication:
Mathias Hurst, Jia Chyi Wong, Marcus Zuber, Mateusz Czyzycki, Margarita Zakharova, Mauro Prasciolu, Naufal I. Kreshnaviyanto, Rolf Simon, Daniel Hänschke, Elias Hamann, Henry N. Chapman, Saša Bajt, Tilo Baumbach

Hard X-ray holographic projection microscopy using multilayer Laue lenses
Applied Physics Letters 129, 081105 (2026).
https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0344598