Ultracompact mirror device for forming 20-nm achromatic soft-X-ray focus toward multimodal and multicolor nanoanalyses.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 38326328.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-023-44269-w and PMC identifier 10850520.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Nanoscale soft-X-ray microscopy is a powerful analysis tool in biological, chemical, and physical sciences. To enhance its probe sensitivity and leverage multimodal soft-X-ray microscopy, precise achromatic focusing devices, which are challenging to fabricate, are essential. Here, we develop an ultracompact Kirkpatrick-Baez (ucKB) mirror, which is ideal for the high-performance nanofocusing of broadband-energy X-rays. We apply our advanced fabrication techniques and short-focal-length strategy to realize diffraction-limited focusing over the entire soft-X-ray range. We achieve a focus size of 20.4 nm at 2 keV, which represents a significant improvement in achromatic soft-X-ray focusing. The ucKB mirror extends soft-X-ray fluorescence microscopy by producing a bicolor nanoprobe with a 1- or 2-keV photon energy. We propose a subcellular chemical mapping method that allows a comprehensive analysis of specimen morphology and the distribution of light elements and metal elements. ucKB mirrors will improve soft-X-ray nanoanalyses by facilitating photon-hungry, multimodal, and polychromatic methods, even with table-top X-ray sources.