Pushing the temporal resolution in absorption and Zernike phase contrast nanotomography: enabling fast in situ experiments

• Published in: Journal of synchrotron radiation Vol. 27; no. 5; pp. 1339 - 1346
• Main Authors: Flenner, Silja, Storm, Malte, Kubec, Adam, Longo, Elena, Döring, Florian, Pelt, Daniël M., David, Christian, Müller, Martin, Greving, Imke
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 5 Abbey Square, Chester, Cheshire CH1 2HU, England International Union of Crystallography 01.09.2020; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subjects: Absorption; full‐field X‐ray microscopy; Image contrast; Image filters; Image quality; in situ experiments; Laboratories; nanotomography; Phase contrast; Research Papers; Spatial resolution; Synchrotrons; Temporal resolution; time resolution; Zernike phase contrast
• ISSN: 1600-5775; 0909-0495; 1600-5775
• DOI: 10.1107/S1600577520007407

Hard X‐ray nanotomography enables 3D investigations of a wide range of samples with high resolution (<100 nm) with both synchrotron‐based and laboratory‐based setups. However, the advantage of synchrotron‐based setups is the high flux, enabling time resolution, which cannot be achieved at laboratory sources. Here, the nanotomography setup at the imaging beamline P05 at PETRA III is presented, which offers high time resolution not only in absorption but for the first time also in Zernike phase contrast. Two test samples are used to evaluate the image quality in both contrast modalities based on the quantitative analysis of contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CNR) and spatial resolution. High‐quality scans can be recorded in 15 min and fast scans down to 3 min are also possible without significant loss of image quality. At scan times well below 3 min, the CNR values decrease significantly and classical image‐filtering techniques reach their limitation. A machine‐learning approach shows promising results, enabling acquisition of a full tomography in only 6 s. Overall, the transmission X‐ray microscopy instrument offers high temporal resolution in absorption and Zernike phase contrast, enabling in situ experiments at the beamline. Unique transmission X‐ray microscopy geometry allows high temporal resolution in absorption as well as phase contrast nanotomography. The evaluation of fast scan times versus image quality is presented.