Theoretical development of a high-resolution differential-interference-contrast optic for x-ray microscopy.

In this paper, the theoretical background and development of a differential-interference contrast (DIC) x-ray optic is presented. The single-element optic is capable of high-resolution phase contrast imaging and is compatible with compact sources. It is shown that an understanding of the coherence requirements in this type of imaging is imperative and is explained in detail. The optic is capable of a wavefront separation equal to the resolution of the optic which places only minor constraints on the object illumination.