Coherent X-ray diffractive imaging: applications and limitations

The inversion of a diffraction pattern offers aberration-free diffraction-limited 3D images without the resolution and depth-of-field limitations of lens-based tomographic systems, the only limitation being radiation damage. We review our recent experimental results, in which X-ray images were reconstructed from the diffraction pattern alone. A preliminary analysis of the radiation dose needed for CXDI imaging and the dose tolerance of frozen-hydrated life-science samples suggests that 3D tomography at a resolution of about 10 nm may be possible. In material science, where samples are less sensitive to radiation damage, we expect CXDI to be able to achieve 1 to 2 nm resolution using modern x-ray synchrotron sources. For higher resolution imaging of biological material, strategies based on fast-pulse illumination from proposed x-ray free-electron laser sources, can be considered as described in Neutze et al. Nature 406, 752–757 (2000).