Open AccessSome simple rules for contrast, signal-to-noise and resolution in in-line x-ray phase-contrast imaging
Author(s) -
T. E. Gureyev,
Yakov Nesterets,
Andrew W. Stevenson,
Peter Miller,
A. Pogany,
S. W. Wilkins
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.16.003223
Subject(s) - x ray phase contrast imaging , optics , phase contrast imaging , detector , contrast (vision) , fresnel diffraction , diffraction , physics , phase (matter) , resolution (logic) , image resolution , noise (video) , phase retrieval , wavelength , spatial frequency , ptychography , projection (relational algebra) , algorithm , fourier transform , mathematics , computer science , phase contrast microscopy , image (mathematics) , computer vision , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence
Simple analytical expressions are derived for the spatial resolution, contrast and signal-to-noise in X-ray projection images of a generic phase edge. The obtained expressions take into account the maximum phase shift generated by the sample and the sharpness of the edge, as well as such parameters of the imaging set-up as the wavelength spectrum and the size of the incoherent source, the source-to-object and object-to-detector distances and the detector resolution. Different asymptotic behavior of the expressions in the cases of large and small Fresnel numbers is demonstrated. The analytical expressions are compared with the results of numerical simulations using Kirchhoff diffraction theory, as well as with experimental X-ray measurements.