A simple hard x-ray “nanoslit” for measuring wavefront intensity

Abstract

A new method is proposed for nanoscale hard x-ray measurements. This method uses a reflection on a heavy-metal wire that functions as a single slit with a nanoscale aperture for a parallel x-ray beam. This "nanoslit" can be used to perform high-spatial-resolution measurements of the intensity distribution of a wavefront that diverges from an aperture. In experiments, Fresnel fringes generated by a rectangular aperture were measured using a 300-microm-diameter platinum wire as the nanoslit. In these experiments, the finest fringes with a period of 26 nm could be successfully resolved.

New Nanoscale Imaging with a Simple Hard X-Ray Nanoslit

“…Therefore, the wire has a very small effective aperture for the incident x-rays. This description helps us to know the basic principle of nanoslits although the effects of refraction in the wire have to be considered to analyze the detailed functions, which have been reported previously [5]. However, these considerations are based on geometrical optics, and it is inadequate to deal with the analysis of nanoscale resolution due to the effects of diffraction.…”

“…This procedure has the potential to measure a much larger field of intensity distribution than a narrow field of focusing beam. We have measured an intensity distribution over a considerably large field by using a platinum wire as the knife edge; Fresnel fringes, generated by a rectangle aperture and a smallest period of 26 nm, was resolved [5]. We called the function of the wire a "nanoslit" since the wire works as a single slit with a nanoscale aperture size.…”