Sonja Rosenlund Ahl

X-ray diffraction microscopy based on refractive optics

A formalism is presented for dark-field X-ray microscopy using refractive optics. The new technique can produce three-dimensional maps of lattice orientation and axial strain within millimetre-sized sampling volumes and is particularly suited to in situ studies of materials at hard X-ray energies. An objective lens in the diffracted beam magnifies the image and acts as a very efficient filter in reciprocal space, enabling the imaging of individual domains of interest with a resolution of 100 nm. Analytical expressions for optical parameters such as numerical aperture, vignetting, and the resolution in both direct and reciprocal spaces are provided. It is shown that the resolution function in reciprocal space can be highly anisotropic and varies as a function of position in the field of view. Inserting a square aperture in front of the objective lens facilitates disjunct and space-filling sampling, which is key for three-dimensional reconstruction and analysis procedures based on the conservation of integrated intensity. A procedure for strain scanning is presented. Finally the formalism is validated experimentally at an X-ray energy of 17 keV.

Simulating and optimizing compound refractive lens-based X-ray microscopes

A comprehensive ray-transfer matrix formalism for the use and design of compound refractive lens-based X-ray microscopes is presented, including closed analytical expressions for key optical parameters. These form the basis of an optimization, which reveals that thick-lens imaging geometries are ideal in terms of spatial resolution and achromaticity.

Dark field X-ray microscopy for studies of recrystallization

We present the recently developed technique of Dark Field X-Ray Microscopy that utilizes the diffraction of hard X-rays from individual grains or subgrains at the (sub)micrometre- scale embedded within mm-sized samples. By magnifying the diffracted signal, 3D mapping of orientations and strains inside the selected grain is performed with an angular resolution of 0.005o and a spatial resolution of 200 nm. Furthermore, the speed of the measurements at high- intensity synchrotron facilities allows for fast non-destructive in situ determination of structural changes induced by annealing or other external influences. The capabilities of Dark Field X- Ray Microscopy are illustrated by examples from an ongoing study of recrystallization of 50% cold-rolled Al1050 specimens.