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X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) opened up a possibility for molecular-scale single particle imaging (SPI) without the need for crystallization. In SPI experiments, the orientation of each particle has to be determined from the measured diffraction pattern. Preparing unidirectionally-aligned particles can facilitate the determination of the sample orientation. Here, we show the design principles of a liquid cell for three-dimensional imaging of unidirectionally-aligned particles in solution with XFELs. The liquid cell was designed so that neither incident X-rays nor diffracted X-rays are blocked by the substrate of the liquid cell even at high tilt angles. As a feasibility evaluation, we performed coherent diffraction measurements using the cells with a 1 μm focused XFEL beam. We successfully measured coherent diffraction patterns of a nano-fabricated metal pattern at 70° tilt angle and obtained the reconstructed image by applying iterative phase retrieval. The liquid cell will be usefully applied to molecular-scale SPI by using more tightly focused XFELs. In particular, imaging of membrane proteins embedded in lipid membranes is expected to have an enormous impact on life science and medicine.

To image biological objects using coherent X-ray diffraction (CXDI), the resolution limitation is mainly resulted from insufficient photon flux at current XFEL facilities. In this report, a photon-flux master curve of particle detection is generated from single shot computer simulation of different biological particles in Protein Data Bank and EMDataBank. The master curve can be applied to estimate scatted X-ray intensity and guide the design of CXDI experiments.

We developed micro-liquid enclosure arrays (MLEAs) for holding solution samples in coherent diffractive imaging (CDI) using x-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs). Hundreds of fully isolated micro-liquid enclosures are arranged in a single MLEA chip for efficient measurement, where each enclosure is destroyed after exposure to a single XFEL pulse. A semi-automated MLEA assembling system was also developed to enclose solution samples into MLEAs efficiently at high precision. We performed XFEL-based CDI experiments using MLEAs and imaged in-solution structures of self-assembled gold nanoparticles. The sample hit rate can be optimized by adjusting solution concentration, and we achieved a single-particle hit rate of 31%, which is not far from the theoretical upper limit of 37% derived from the Poisson statistics. MELAs allow us to perform CDI measurement under controlled solution conditions and will help reveal the nanostructures and dynamics of particles in solution.

The spatial resolution of x-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) coherent diffraction imaging is currently limited by the fluence of XFELs. Here, we clarify this issue by systematically studying the diffraction with a SPring-8 angstrom compact free electron laser XFEL on gold nanoparticles of size from 10 nm to 80 nm in water solution. The coherent x-ray diffraction patterns obtained from single XFEL pulses were quantitatively analyzed using a small-angle x-ray scattering scheme along with computer simulations. The results show that the detectability of Au nanoparticles can be described by a “master curve” as a function of total electron density, particle size, and x-ray fluence. The difficulty in detecting a small particle under the current XFEL fluence, however, could be largely eliminated by the image enhancement effect through interference from a strong scattering nanoparticle nearby. We investigate this image enhancement effect by quantitatively analyzing the two-particle scattering from Au nanoparticles, and further, applying it to detect a weak biological object of influenza virus with the aid of an Au nanoparticle.

In order to explore new applications of recovered waste paper, we prepared electrically conductive fibers by plating waste newspaper pulp (WNP) fibers. Further, we mixed them with unplated WNP fibers and filtered the mixture to obtain a conductive pulp fiber sheet, which was to be used for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) purposes. For the plating of WNP fibers, we used an electroless nickel plating method. We also plated pulp fibers recovered from fine paper, pulp fibers recovered from milk carton, and bleached softwood kraft pulp fibers, which were used for comparison with the plated WNP fibers. All of the four types of plated, recovered waste paper pulp fibers had high conductivity, i.e., an electrical conductivity of 0.1 S/m or more and a conductance of 0.02 S or more. The conductive pulp fiber sheet made of WNP fibers had an electric field shielding effect of 30 dB or more at 10–1000 MHz, provided that the ratio of the plated WNP fibers in the sheet was 40 % or more. Therefore, our conductive WNP fiber sheet is effective in EMC.

We propose a coherent x-ray zoom condenser lens composed of two-stage deformable Kirkpatrick-Baez mirrors. The lens delivers coherent x-rays with a controllable beam size, from one micrometer to a few tens of nanometers, at a fixed focal position. The lens is suitable for diffractive and scanning microscopy. We also propose non-scanning coherent diffraction microscopy for extended objects by using an apodized focused beam produced by the lens with a spatial filter. The proposed apodized-illumination method will be useful in highly efficient imaging with ultimate storage ring sources, and will also open the way to single-shot coherent diffraction microscopy of extended objects with x-ray free-electron lasers. (C) 2013 Optical Society of America

Ultrafast time-resolved Bragg coherent X-ray diffraction (CXD) has been performed to investigate lattice dynamics in a thin crystal layer with a nanoscale thickness by using a SASE (Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission)-XFEL (X-ray Free Electron Laser) facility, SACLA. Single-shot Bragg coherent diffraction patterns of a 100 nm-thick silicon crystal were measured in the asymmetric configuration with a grazing exit using an area detector. The measured coherent diffraction patterns showed fringes extending in the surface normal direction. By using an optical femtosecond laser-pump and the XFEL-probe, a transient broadening of coherent diffraction pattern profile was observed at a delay time of around a few tens of picosecond, indicating transient crystal lattice fluctuation induced by the optical laser. A perspective application of the time-resolved Bragg CXD method to investigate small sized grains composing ceramic materials is discussed. (C)2013 The Ceramic Society of Japan. All rights reserved.

X-ray science has greatly benefited from the progress in X-ray optics. Advances in the design and the manufacturing techniques of X-ray optics are key to the success of various microscopic and spectroscopic techniques practiced today. Here the generation of apodized X-ray illumination using a two-stage deformable Kirkpatrick–Baez mirror system is presented. Such apodized illumination is marked by the suppression of the side-lobe intensities of the focused beam. Thus generated apodized illumination was employed to improve the image quality in scanning X-ray fluorescence microscopy. Imaging of a non-isolated object by coherent X-ray diffractive imaging with apodized illumination in a non-scanning mode is also presented.

Unlike the electrostatic and electromagnetic lenses used in electron microscopy, most X-ray focusing optical systems have fixed optical parameters with constant numerical apertures (NAs). This lack of adaptability has significantly limited application targets. In the research described herein, we developed a variable-NA X-ray focusing system based on four deformable mirrors, two sets of Kirkpatrick–Baez-type focusing mirrors, in order to control the focusing size while keeping the position of the focus unchanged. We applied a mirror deformation procedure using optical/X-ray metrology for offline/online adjustments. We performed a focusing test at a SPring-8 beamline and confirmed that the beam size varied from 108 nm to 560 nm (165 nm to 1434 nm) in the horizontal (vertical) direction by controlling the NA while maintaining diffraction-limited conditions.

An instrumentation and data analysis review of coherent diffraction microscopy at SPring-8 is given. This work will be of interest to those who want to apply coherent diffraction imaging to studies of materials science and biological samples., Since the first demonstration of coherent diffraction microscopy in 1999, this lensless imaging technique has been experimentally refined by continued developments. Here, instrumentation and experimental procedures for measuring oversampled diffraction patterns from non-crystalline specimens using an undulator beamline (BL29XUL) at SPring-8 are presented. In addition, detailed post-experimental data analysis is provided that yields high-quality image reconstructions. As the acquisition of high-quality diffraction patterns is at least as important as the phase-retrieval procedure to guarantee successful image reconstructions, this work will be of interest for those who want to apply this imaging technique to materials science and biological samples.

Introduction We examined the efficacy of combination therapy with α1-blocker tamsulosin and hypnotic zolpidem in patients who had suffered from sleep disturbance associated with nocturia. Material and methods A total of 35 patients diagnosed with nocturia with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) were studied. After treatment with tamsulosin for 4 weeks, 16 patients dissatisfied with nocturia (nocturiaquality of life index ≥4) and suspected to have sleep disturbance (Athens Insomnia Scale ≥6) received additional treatment with tamsulosin and zolpidem for 2 weeks. Outcomes were evaluated by the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and quality of life index (QOL), Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and nocturia-quality of life index (nocturia-QOL). Results After monotherapy with tamsulosin, significant reductions in IPSS (18.9 ±3.8 to 9.9 ±3.0, p

We describe a method for characterizing sub-10-nm X-ray beams using knife-edge scanning with dark-field geometry. Beam profile measurement by the conventional dark-field method is simulated numerically, and the signal intensity is found to depend strongly on the incident angle of the beam components. A numerical procedure to correct the dependence and to determine the actual beam profile is presented.

A method for evaluating the two-dimensional photon density distribution in focused hard X-ray beams is proposed and demonstrated in a synchrotron experiment at SPring-8. A synchrotron X-ray beam of 11.8 keV is focused to a ∼ 1 μ m spot by Kirkpatrick–Baez mirrors. The two-dimensional intensity distribution of the focused beam is derived by monitoring the forward diffracted intensity from an isolated silver nanocube with an edge length of ∼ 150 nm positioned in the beam waist, which is two-dimensionally scanned. Furthermore, the photon density of X-rays illuminated onto the nanocube is estimated by utilizing coherent X-ray diffraction microscopy. This method is useful for evaluating the photon density distribution of hard X-ray beams focused to a spot size of less than a few micrometers.

Coherent diffraction microscopy using highly focused hard X-ray beams allows us to three-dimensionally observe thick objects with a high spatial resolution, also providing us with unique structural information, i.e., electron density distribution, not obtained by X-ray tomography with lenses, atom probe microscopy, or electron tomography. We measured high-contrast coherent X-ray diffraction patterns of a shape-controlled Au/Ag nanoparticle and successfully reconstructed a projection and a three-dimensional image of the nanoparticle with a single pixel (or a voxel) size of 4.2 nm in each dimension. The small pits on the surface and a hollow interior were clearly visible. The Au-rich regions were identified based on the electron density distribution, which provided insight into the formation of Au/Ag nanoboxes.

X-ray crystallography can routinely determine the atomic structure of crystalline materials. The method can be extended to non-crystalline materials by using coherent X-ray diffraction. In X-ray diffraction microscopy, coherent X-ray diffraction patterns are sampled finely enough to satisfy the oversampling condition for solving the phase problem, and the iterative phase retrieval method is used for the sample image reconstruction. Recently, we succeeded in three-dimensional visualization of an unstained human chromosome by X-ray diffraction microscopy. It is the first hard X-ray tomography for cellular organelles. The reconstructed images revealed the internal axial structure, demonstrating an excellent image-contrast of the method.

1-µm-thick Cu thin lines with adjacent connections, which simulate via structures in large-scale integration circuits, were fabricated on Si3N4 membranes by both electron-beam evaporation and a focused ion beam for coherent x-ray diffraction measurements. A direct current was applied to a Cu thin line to prepare an electromigration sample. In the scanning electron microscope image of the electromigration sample, a roughness of a few hundred nanometers was observed on the surface around the via structures. Coherent x-ray diffraction patterns of both the thin line and electromigration samples were measured using synchrotron x-rays at SPring-8. Characteristic diffraction patterns resulting from both the shape of the Cu thin lines and the defects around the via structures formed by the application of the current were observed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A novel approach to X-ray diffraction data analysis for nondestructive determination of the shape of nanoscale particles and clusters in three-dimensions is illustrated with representative examples of composite nanostructures. The technique is insensitive to the X-ray coherence, which allows 3-D reconstruction of a modal image without tomographic synthesis and in situ analysis of large (over a several cubic millimeters) volume of material with a spatial resolution of few nanometers, rendering the approach suitable for laboratory facilities.

We have developed X-ray refraction-based computed tomography (CT) that is able to visualize soft tissue in between hard tissue. The experimental system consists of Si(220) diffraction double-crystals and is called the DEI (diffraction-enhanced imaging) method, in which the object is located between the crystals and a CCD camera to acquire data as 360 X-ray images. The X-ray energy used was 17.5 keV. The algorithm used to reconstruct CT images was developed by A. Maksimenko and colleagues. We successfully visualized articular cartilage and the distribution of bone marrow, which are inner structures. Our method has much higher contrast compared to the conventional absorption-based CT system.

Recently, we have shown that hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy using undulator X-rays at SPring-8 is quite feasible with both high resolution and high throughput. Here we report an application of hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy to the characterization of electronic and chemical states of thin solid films, for which conventional PES is not applicable. As a typical example, we focus on the problem of the scatter in the reported band-gap values for InN. We show that oxygen incorporation into the InN film strongly modifies the valence and plays a crucial role in the band gap problem. The present results demonstrate the powerful applicability of high resolution photoemission spectroscopy with hard X-rays from a synchrotron source.

PURPOSE The purpose of the present paper was to evaluate clinical factors responsible for recurrence and prognosis of superficial bladder cancer. SUBJECTS AND METHOD We reviewed date from 800 patients who were initially treated between 1991 and 2000. Recurrent and prognostic factors were examined with univariate and multivariate analysis. Kaplan-Meier Method and log rank test were used for comparing the significance of recurrence free curve and survival curve. Cox's proportional hazard model was used for univariate and multivariate analysis. A 5% level of significance was used for all statistical testing. RESULTS Of 800 cases 282 patients (35.2%) had recurrence and 27 patients (3.4%) were died in during follow up. Progression was defined as the development of muscle invasion or metastasis, progression were noted on 10 metastasis cases and 16 muscle invasion cases. Univariate analysis revealed that tumor numbers, shape, size, stage and grade were significant recurrent and prognostic factors. Multivariate analysis revealed that tumor numbers (P

X-ray Fraunhofer diffraction data have been collected from a series of weakly thickness-modulated samples using a synchrotron source. Three different areas of a linear Fresnel zone structure etched in a silicon wafer each 10 μm wide were studied. Each area studied included different numbers of zones, ranging from 6 to 20. An X-ray phase retrieval technique was used to profile the complex refractive index within the areas examined. The zone structure thickness profiles were mapped with a spatial resolution of 100 nm.

X-ray Fraunhofer diffraction data have been collected from a series of weakly thickness-modulated samples using a synchrotron source. Three different 10 μm wide areas of a linear Fresnel zone structure etched in a silicon wafer were studied. Each studied area included different number of zones, ranging from 6 to 20. Phase retrieval X-ray diffractometry technique was used for the experimental data analysis. The zone structure thickness profiles were mapped with a spatial resolution of 100 nm.

数値制御PCVMと数値制御EEM, 新たに開発した形状計測システムRADSIによりX線集光ミラーを作製した. SPring-8において1次元集光特性の評価を行った結果, 15keVのX線で集光強度プロファイルのFWHMで回折限界に近い40nmを実現した.

Hard X-rays are high-energy photons with extremely short wavelengths of the order of atomic distances. Their short wavelengths allow hard X-rays to be focused to nanometer sizes. This concept is simple; however, it is technically difficult to implement. For this reason, many physicists have been investigating X-ray focusing. In this study, we produce a single-digit nanometer sized hard X-ray focal spot using an ultraprecise multilayer mirror. Such extremely narrow hard X-ray beams can be used to achieve extremely high spatial resolutions in various X-ray microscopy techniques. Coupled with the high pulse powers of X-ray free-electron lasers, such nanofocusing optics have the potential to exceed the Schwinger limit.

Emerging X-ray free-electron lasers with femtosecond pulse duration enable single-shot snapshot imaging almost free from sample damage by outrunning major radiation damage processes. In bioimaging, it is essential to keep the sample close to its natural state. Conventional high-resolution imaging, however, suffers from severe radiation damage that hinders live cell imaging. Here we present a method for capturing snapshots of live cells kept in a micro-liquid enclosure array by X-ray laser diffraction. We place living Microbacterium lacticum cells in an enclosure array and successively expose each enclosure to a single X-ray laser pulse from the SPring-8 Angstrom Compact Free-Electron Laser. The enclosure itself works as a guard slit and allows us to record a coherent diffraction pattern from a weakly-scattering submicrometre-sized cell with a clear fringe extending up to a 28-nm full-period resolution. The reconstructed image reveals living whole-cell structures without any staining, which helps advance understanding of intracellular phenomena., Live cell imaging at high resolution is very challenging because cells die upon prolonged radiation exposure. Kimura et al. overcome this problem by using pulsed coherent X-ray diffraction to image live microbacterium in a nanofabricated liquid enclosure at resolution far exceeding optical methods.

A new experimental technique for reciprocal X-ray holography has been developed. The experimental set-up makes it possible to measure a reciprocal hologram without unwanted mixture of the X-ray fluorescence holography signal. The data are recorded during continuous rotation of the sample, and are accumulated over many revolutions. Thus the sensitivity to fluctuations of the source characteristics is reduced. A very high resolution over a large angular range is also achieved, which allows recording of X-ray standing-wave shapes near Bragg angles. The reconstruction of the measured hologram of a Cu(3)Au crystal gives positions of the nearest and next-nearest neighbours of a fluorescing Cu atom.

OBJECTIVES To assess the prevalence of nocturia in association with other voiding symptoms in men with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). METHODS Seventy-three patients in whom OSAS was diagnosed at Gifu Red Cross Hospital during the period from October 2005 through April 2006 were assessed on the basis of the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI). Nocturia was defined as two or more voids per night. We classified patients by the presence versus absence of nocturia and by age (less than 50 years versus 50 years or more). Between-group differences in the AHI and IPSS were analyzed by Student's t test or the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS Nocturia was found in 30 patients with OSAS (41.1%). The AHI was higher in patients with nocturia than in those without nocturia (P

The perfection of two commercial top-grade quartz crystal wafers has been investigated using Bragg reflection at theta(B)=89.77 degrees of a 2.0 meV bandwidth beam of 9.979 keV X-rays by the (7\bar4\bar34) lattice planes. Topographic images show small defect concentrations (

An extremely rare case of esophageal metastasis from prostate cancer is reported. A 65-year-old man presented with anorexia and back pain. Upper gastrointestinal X-ray fluoroscopy and endoscopy revealed a shallow longitudinal ulcer, with converging mucosal folds, approximately 5 cm above the esophagogastric junction. The histological diagnosis of the biopsied specimen was adenocarcinoma. Blood biochemistry revealed elevated serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and gamma-seminoprotein levels. Ultrasonography of the prostate disclosed a hypoechoic lesion in the left lobe, and needle biopsy led to the diagnosis of prostatic adenocarcinoma. Since there was no finding suggestive of a primary lesion, apart from that in the prostate, we conducted reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for PSA. PSA-positive mRNA was demonstrated in the tissue of the esophageal tumor. There are three reports on metastasis to the esophagus from prostate cancer, but this is the first case of esophageal metastasis from prostate cancer without any evidence of metastasis to other organs. The importance of RT-PCR for the diagnosis of primary lesions of metastatic cancer is discussed.

Thirty-five patients with prostate cancer were examined for micrometastases to the bone marrow using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with primers specific for the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) gene. Of nine patients with bone metastases detectable by bone scan imaging, five patients had PSA mRNA expression in the bone marrow detectable by RT-PCR. Of 26 patients with negative bone scan findings, seven patients had PSA mRNA expression detectable in the bone marrow. RT-PCR could detect micrometastatic prostate cancer cells in the bone marrow that were not detectable by bone scan imaging. Of 16 patients with a serum PSA concentration of 25 ng ml(-1) or greater, only nine (56.3%) had bone metastases detected by bone scans. Of the remaining seven patients, five had micrometastases to the bone marrow detected by RT-PCR. Overall, 14 of 16 patients (87.5%) with a serum PSA concentration of 25 ng ml(-1) or greater had metastatic bone diseases including bone marrow micrometastases. Of 19 patients with a serum PSA concentration of less than 25 ng ml(-1), two (10.5%) had only micrometastatic disease detected by RT-PCR. A significant correlation was observed between the incidence of bone involvement and the serum PSA concentration. This study suggests that RT-PCR will potentially develop into a relevant tool to assess bone involvement including bone marrow micrometastases and establish a precise correlation between serum PSA concentration and metastatic bone disease in patients with prostate cancer. Images Figure 1

The temperature dependences of the Yb 4f and 3d states of Kondo semiconductor YbB 12 single crystal have been studied by high-resolution photoemission spectroscopy taken at hν =100 and 5951 eV. The Yb 2+ 4f 7/2 state at the Fermi level is enhanced on cooling. With improved energy resolution, we discover an additional quasi-particle peak at 15 meV that developes below 60 K. From the Yb 3d spectrum at 22 K, the Yb valence is estimated to be∼2.88.

A fast microtomography system for high-resolution high-speed imaging has been developed using bright monochromatic x-rays at the BL29XU beamline of SPring-8. The shortest scan time for microtomography we attained was 0.25 s in 1.25 μm effective pixel size by combining the bright monochromatic x-rays, a fast rotating sample stage, and a high performance x-ray imaging detector. The feasibility of the tomography system was successfully demonstrated by visualization of rising bubbles in a viscous liquid, an interesting issue in multiphase flow physics. This system also provides a high spatial (a measurable feature size of 300 nm) or a very high temporal (9.8 μs) resolution in radiographs.

Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) of macromolecular systems in solution has become an obvious complement to high resolution structural studies. Using SAXS, structural hypotheses can be directly tested against experimental data in solution. Conformational changes or complex formation can be monitored, and help understanding structure-function relationships. Additionally, the reliability of the data has been much strengthened by on-line purification approaches. Moreover, when coherent X-rays are used for sample illumination, SAXS patterns become speckled and can provide electron-density maps directly by computational phase-retrieval methods. Furthermore, X-ray free-electron laser with femtosecond pulse duration will enable us to take time-frozen images of biomolecules in solution free from radiation damage. In this paper, recent experimental and methodological advances in both classical and coherent SAXS are reviewed.

We have constructed an extremely precise optical system for hard-x-ray nanofocusing in a synchrotron radiation beamline. Precision multilayer mirrors were fabricated, tested, and employed as Kirkpatrick–Baez mirrors with a novel phase error compensator. In the phase compensator, an at-wavelength wavefront error sensing method based on x-ray interferometry and an in situ phase compensator mirror, which adaptively deforms with nanometer precision, were developed to satisfy the Rayleigh criterion to achieve diffraction-limited focusing in a single-nanometer range. The performance of the optics was tested at BL29XUL of SPring-8 and was confirmed to realize a spot size of approximately 7 nm.

We demonstrated high-resolution element-specific diffraction microscopy using a hard X-ray beam focused by Kirkpatrick–Baez mirrors. Coherent diffraction patterns of an Au/Ag nanoparticle were measured at incident X-ray energies around the Au LIII absorption edge. By calculating the difference between the intensities of reconstructed images obtained at different energies, an image of the Au element could be derived. From the difference image, it was suggested that the replacement reaction progresses from the corners of Ag cubic particle.

Objective To analyse the efficacy and safety of bacillus Calmette–Guerin (BCG) perfusion treatment forcarcinoma in situ (CIS) of the upper urinary tract. Patients and methods Six patients with cytologically diagnosed CIS of the upper urinary tract were treated by BCG instillation via retrograde catheterization using a 6 F ureteric catheter or an 8 F indwelling JJ ureteric stent between the ureter and bladder. BCG (Tokyo 172 strain, 80 mg in 100 mL normal saline) was instilled weekly for 4 or 8 weeks. The efficacy and safety of the treatment was assessed. Results The mean (range) follow-up was 22 (9–38) months; none of the patients died, and all were negative for cytology in urine collected from the upper urinary tracts. However, one patient had recurrent CIS in the prostatic urethra; the patient was treated by intravesical BCG instillation. In all patients, positive cytology became negative after one or two instillations of BCG. The ureter became stenotic in two patients. Although irritative symptoms occurred in all patients, such side-effects disappeared in a few months and were not clinically significant. Conclusion In these six patients retrograde BCG instillation for CIS of the upper urinary tract was effective and safe. Based on the cytology results after only two BCG treatments, the dose or number of BCG instillations could possibly be reduced, but further study is needed.

S. Matsuyama, T. Wakioka, H. Mimura, T. Kimura, N. Kidani, Y. Sano, Y. Nishino, K. Tamasaku, M. Yabashi, T. Ishikawa, and K. Yamauchi "Development of a one-dimensional Wolter mirror for an advanced Kirkpatrick-Baez mirror", Proc. SPIE 7802, Advances in X-Ray/EUV Optics and Components V, 780202 (27 August 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.860405., SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2010, San Diego, California, United States, To realize achromatic full-field hard X-ray microscopy with a resolution better than 100 nm, we studied an imaging system consisting of an elliptical mirror and a hyperbolic mirror. The figure accuracies of the elliptical and hyperbolic mirrors required to obtain diffraction-limited resolution were investigated using a wave-optical simulator, and then elliptical and hyperbolic mirrors were precisely fabricated, following the criterion of the figure accuracies. Experiments to form a demagnified image of a one-dimensional slit installed 45 m upstream were conducted using the imaging system at an X-ray energy of 11.5 keV at BL29XUL of SPring-8. The system could form a demagnified image with the best resolution of 78 nm. In addition, the field of view to obtain a resolution better than 200 nm was 4.2 micron. © 2010 SPIE.

X-ray waves in the center of the beam waist of nearly diffraction limited focused x-ray beams can be considered to have amplitude and phase that are both almost uniform, i.e., they are x-ray plane waves. Here we report the results of an experimental demonstration of high-resolution diffraction microscopy using the x-ray plane wave of the synchrotron x-ray beam focused using Kirkpatrik-Baez mirrors. A silver nanocube with an edge length of $\ensuremath{\sim}100\text{ }\text{nm}$ is illuminated with the x-ray beam focused to a $\ensuremath{\sim}1\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\text{m}$ spot at 12 keV. A high-contrast symmetric diffraction pattern of the nanocube is observed in the forward far field. An image of the nanocube is successfully reconstructed by an iterative phasing method and its half-period resolution is 3.0 nm. This method does not only dramatically improve the spatial resolution of x-ray microscopy but also is a key technology for realizing single-pulse diffractive imaging using x-ray free-electron lasers.

Electromigration (EM) in a 1‐μm-thick Cu thin line was investigated by in situ coherent x-ray diffraction microscopy (CXDM). Characteristic x-ray speckle patterns due to both EM-induced voids and thermal deformation in the thin line were observed in the coherent x-ray diffraction patterns. Both parts of the voids and the deformation were successfully visualized in the images reconstructed from the diffraction patterns. This result not only represents the first demonstration of the visualization of structural changes in metallic materials by in situ CXDM but is also an important step toward studying the structural dynamics of nanomaterials using x-ray free-electron lasers in the near future.

In previous studies, the breaking behavior of secondary bonding joints has been considered very difficult to analyze, because of non-linearity. In this report, we suppose that the primary causes of this breaking behavior are interlamination decomposition, and joint breakage due to excessive pulling. These have been shown in our long term experiments to be the main failures of composite materials. We explain the simple analytical method used to promote material decomposition and present a practical construction method. Along with this, we raise problems relating to the construction technology employed, and possible solutions to these problems.

Müllerian duct cysts occupying the pelvic/abdominal region are rare. We describe a müllerian duct cyst extending into the lower abdomen in a 47-year-old man complaining of urinary retention. We removed the cyst through a suprapubic retrovesical approach. No malignancy was found in the surgical specimen.

We present the design, fabrication, and evaluation of a large total-reflection mirror for focusing x-ray free-electron laser beams to nanometer dimensions. We used an elliptical focusing mirror made of silicon that was 400 mm long and had a focal length of 550 mm. Electrolytic in-process dressing grinding was used for initial-step figuring and elastic emission machining was employed for final figuring and surface smoothing. A figure accuracy with a peak-to-valley height of 2 nm was achieved across the entire area. Characterization of the focused beam was performed at BL29XUL of SPring-8. The focused beam size was 75 nm at 15 keV, which is almost equal to the theoretical size.

An element-specific coherent x-ray imaging technique using anomalous x-ray scattering in the hard x-ray region was first demonstrated. Coherent x-ray diffraction patterns of a sample composed of 500-nm-thick Ni and Cu layers were measured at incident x-ray energies around the $\text{Ni}\text{ }K$ absorption edge. Non-center-symmetric diffraction patterns due to anomalous scattering phenomenon in the hard x-ray region were observed. Symmetricity of the diffraction pattern was quantitatively analyzed by numerically simulating the x-ray wave field behind the sample position using the Rytov approximation. By calculating the difference between the intensities of reconstructed images of different energies, an image of the Ni layers could be derived although it was not enough to identify precisely. This method is widely applicable to nondestructive analysis of nanometer-scale elemental distribution of materials buried within thick and high-$Z$ samples.

We present the development of a phase compensator for wavefront control of X-rays. The optical device is a 150 mm-long total reflection mirror, the shape of which can be curved by adjusting the bias voltages of 36 piezoelectric ceramic plates attached to the mirror. The mirror surface was smoothed and made flat by elastic emission machining. To achieve a high degree of the accuracy in the controllability of a curved line, a Fizeau interferometer is placed in front of the mirror surface to monitor its shape in the experiment. We will apply this device to the optical system for the realization of sub-10-nm hard X-ray focusing.

Coherent x-ray diffraction microscopy is a lensless phase-contrast imaging technique with high image contrast. Although electron tomography allows intensive study of the three-dimensional structure of cellular organelles, it has inherent difficulty with thick objects. X rays have the unique benefit of allowing noninvasive analysis of thicker objects and high spatial resolution. We observed an unstained human chromosome using coherent x-ray diffraction. The reconstructed images in two or three dimensions show an axial structure, which has not been observed under unstained conditions.