High average brightness water window source for short-exposure cryomicroscopy

Opt Lett. 2012 Nov 1;37(21):4425-7. doi: 10.1364/OL.37.004425.

Abstract

Laboratory water window cryomicroscopy has recently demonstrated similar image quality as synchrotron-based microscopy but still with much longer exposure times, prohibiting the spread to a wider scientific community. Here we demonstrate high-resolution laboratory water window imaging of cryofrozen cells with 10 s range exposure times. The major improvement is the operation of a λ=2.48 nm, 2 kHz liquid nitrogen jet laser plasma source with high spatial and temporal stability at high average brightness >1.5×10(12) ph/(s×sr×μm(2)×line), i.e., close to that of early synchrotrons. Thus, this source enables not only biological x-ray microscopy in the home laboratory but potentially other applications previously only accessible at synchrotron facilities.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • B-Lymphocytes / cytology
  • Cryopreservation*
  • Humans
  • Microscopy / methods*
  • Time Factors
  • Water*
  • X-Rays

Substances

  • Water