Nanoscale imaging and optimization of a compact "water window" SXR microscope

The wavelength diffraction limit, described by the Rayleigh criterion, can be overcome if short wavelength radiations are employed, thus it is possible to resolve smaller features by the use of radiation in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft X-ray (SXR) spectral ranges. In particular way, radiation from the "water window" spectral range, which extends between K-absorption edges of carbon and oxygen (280÷540 eV), could be used in order to obtain high-contrast biological imaging. Laser-plasma double stream gas puff target source is suitable for SXR microscopy in the "water window" spectral range, which recently allowed to develop a system, operating at He-like nitrogen spectral line λ=2.88 nm, which permits to obtain images with half-pitch spatial resolution of ∼ 60 nm, exposure time as low as a few seconds and represents an important alternative for high resolution imaging for biomedical applications, material science and nanotechnology using a very compact laser source. The goal of measurements, presented herein, is to show SXR images of various biological samples, proving high contrast in the "water window" and characterize in more detail such compact microscopy system, based on a laser plasma source with a double stream gas puff target and a Fresnel zone plate (FZP) objective. The influence of various acquisition parameters on the quality of the obtained SXR images, expressed in terms of a signal-to-noise (SNR) will be demonstrated. Moreover, because the measurements are performed on SXR images, similar measurements might be performed as a benchmark in order to characterize different imaging systems as well.