NOVEL SOFT X-RAY IMAGING MICROSCOPE DIFFRACTION PLATE

THE DEVELOPMENT OF X-RAY OPTICS ALLOWING FOR THE PRESERVATION OF FLUX IN THE IMAGING SOFT X-RAY MICROSCOPE IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE. PXL'S NOVEL DEVICE, THE SOFT X-RAY DIFFRACTION PLATE, SHOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE INCREASE OF SOFT X-RAY FLUX THROUGH THE IMAGING SYSTEM BY AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE. IT WILL ALSO ELIMINATE COSTLY, DIFFICULT TO FABRICATE CONDENSER OPTICS AND REDUCE ALIGNMENT CONSTRAINTS. DETAILED MATHEMATICAL MODELS OF THE DIFFRACTION PLATE WILL BE DEVELOPED USING ANALYTICAL AND COMPUTER TECHNIQUES. THESE WILL BE USED TO DECIDE WHICH OF SEVERAL METHODS OF MANUFACTURE WILL PRODUCE THE BEST DIFFRACTION PLATES BY COMPARING THE DATA OBTAINED WITH THE 18.2 NM LASERS AT PRINCETON'S PLASMA PHYSICAL LABORATORY WITH THEORY. ON THE BASIS OF THESE TESTS, A SOFT X-RAY IMAGING MICROSCOPE WILL BE DESIGNED INCORPORATING A DIFFRACTION PLATE, READY FOR CONSTRUCTION IN PHASE II. SUCH AN INSTRUMENT WOULD ENABLE IMAGING OF HYDRATED UNSTAINED BIOLOGICAL SPECIMENS AT 50 NM RESOLUTION TO BE TRANSFERRED TO THE UNIVERSITY LABORATORY ENVIRONMENT.