Ellipsoidal and parabolic glass capillaries as condensers for x-ray microscopes

Appl Opt. 2008 May 1;47(13):2376-81. doi: 10.1364/ao.47.002376.

Abstract

Single-bounce ellipsoidal and paraboloidal glass capillary focusing optics have been fabricated for use as condenser lenses for both synchrotron and tabletop x-ray microscopes in the x-ray energy range of 2.5-18 keV. The condenser numerical apertures (NAs) of these devices are designed to match the NA of x-ray zone plate objectives, which gives them a great advantage over zone plate condensers in laboratory microscopes. The fabricated condensers have slope errors as low as 20 murad rms. These capillaries provide a uniform hollow-cone illumination with almost full focusing efficiency, which is much higher than what is available with zone plate condensers. Sub-50 nm resolution at 8 keV x-ray energy was achieved by utilizing this high-efficiency condenser in a laboratory microscope based on a rotating anode generator.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Equipment Design
  • Glass
  • Microscopy / instrumentation*
  • Optics and Photonics / instrumentation*
  • Synchrotrons / instrumentation
  • X-Rays