Four-type phase-contrast X-ray imaging at SAGA Light Source

Phase-contrast X-ray imaging (Phase imaging), which uses X-ray phase-shift caused by passing through a sample, is a powerful tool for non-destructive three-dimensional observation. Since the cross-section of the phase-shift for light elements in the hard X-ray region is more than 1,000 times larger than that of the absorption, detailed observation can be performed even for biological soft tissues and organic materials, mainly composed of light elements. Phase imaging for a large field of view can be classified into four kinds. The sensitivity and dynamic range of phase imaging are related to a trade-off: each method’s properties differ significantly. Therefore, an optimized phase imaging method needs to be selected for each sample’s density distribution. We have been developing all types of phase imaging for fine observations of various samples using the optimal phase imaging method at the SAGA Light Source. We report the details of each method and instrumentation and give example observations.