Measuring X-ray beam coherence and demonstrating multi-contrast CT at NanoTerasu

What is it about?

This study investigates the spatial coherence of X-ray beams at the NanoTerasu synchrotron facility and demonstrates advanced X-ray imaging using a Talbot interferometer. By measuring the visibility of interference patterns, we evaluated the effective size and coherence of the X-ray source at beamline BL09W. The results confirm that the beamline provides highly coherent X-rays suitable for coherence-based imaging techniques. Using this setup, we successfully performed multi-contrast X-ray computed tomography, which simultaneously reconstructs absorption, phase, and scattering images. These complementary contrasts reveal internal structures that are difficult to detect with conventional absorption-based X-ray imaging alone. Our results show that NanoTerasu can enable fast, high-sensitivity imaging and open new possibilities for non-destructive studies of biological tissues and materials.

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Why is it important?

This work provides one of the first experimental evaluations of X-ray beam coherence at the newly commissioned NanoTerasu fourth-generation synchrotron using a Talbot interferometer. The results confirm that the BL09W beamline delivers highly coherent X-rays suitable for advanced phase-contrast imaging. In addition, we demonstrate fast multi-contrast X-ray computed tomography that simultaneously reconstructs absorption, phase, and scattering images using a white X-ray beam. Achieving high visibility without a monochromator is particularly significant because it enables short exposure times and rapid CT measurements. This capability opens the way to high-speed and time-resolved imaging, such as 4D X-ray tomography, and expands the potential applications of NanoTerasu for studying soft materials, biological tissues, and complex internal structures that are difficult to observe with conventional X-ray imaging.