Hard-x-ray microscopy with Fresnel zone plates reaches 40nm Rayleigh resolution

Abstract

Substantial improvements in the nanofabrication and characteristics of gold Fresnel zone plates yielded unprecedented resolution levels in hard-x-ray microscopy. Tests performed on a variety of specimens with $8–10\mathrm{keV}$ photons demonstrated a first-order lateral resolution below $40\mathrm{nm}$ based on the Rayleigh criterion. Combined with the use of a phase contrast technique, this makes it possible to view features in the $30\mathrm{nm}$ range; good-quality images can be obtained at video rate, down to $50\mathrm{ms}∕\text{frame}$ . The important repercussions on materials science, nanotechnology, and the life sciences are discussed.