Ptychographic imaging of real biological samples using a high harmonic and synchrotron source

Abstract

Visualisation of nano structure is essential for rapidly evolving fields such as lithography,and to gain a greater understanding of mechanisms behind biological processes. This thesis focuses on using coherent diffraction imaging methods to resolve fine biological structures using a high harmonic generation source and a synchrotron source. The majority of work is focused on developing imaging using the ptychography technique using extreme ultraviolet radiation (EUV) at the University of Southampton.

The state of the high harmonic generation imaging beam line is first improved. Flux, stability, and coherence have all been improved in order to meet the required beam characteristics for ptychography imaging. We present published experimental data that shows the first high resolution transmission polychromatic ptychography result from a high harmonic source. To the best of our knowledge we also show the first near field ptychography reconstruction on a high harmonic source. The very first images of real biological samples (chromosomes and hippocampal neurons) using high harmonic generation ptychography are presented. We can achieve 54nm resolution over 100 μm field of view of weakly scattering samples imaging both phase and amplitude. Our EUV microscope is compared to data collected using an established hard X-ray synchrotron source, where it is found far more information can be extracted from the inexpensive table-top source at the University of Southampton.

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Identifiers

ORCID for William Brocklesby: orcid.org/0000-0002-2123-6712

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