Three-dimensional fast elemental mapping by soft X-ray dual-energy focal stacks imaging

Abstract

The three-dimensional (3D) dual-energy focal stacks (FS) imaging method has been developed to quickly obtain the spatial distribution of an element of interest in a sample; it is a combination of the 3D FS imaging method and two-dimensional (2D) dual-energy contrast imaging based on scanning transmission soft X-ray microscopy (STXM). A simulation was firstly performed to verify the feasibility of the 3D elemental reconstruction method. Then, a sample of composite nanofibers, polystyrene doped with ferric acetylacetonate [Fe(acac)3], was further investigated to quickly reveal the spatial distribution of Fe(acac)3 in the sample. Furthermore, the data acquisition time was less than that for STXM nanotomography under similar resolution conditions and did not require any complicated sample preparation. The novel approach of 3D dual-energy FS imaging, which allows fast 3D elemental mapping, is expected to provide invaluable information for biomedicine and materials science.

Automatic Feedback System for X-ray Flux at BL08U1A Soft X-ray Spectromicroscopy Beamline of Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility

“…These three end stations have proven to be extremely useful for studies in environmental science [19,20], physics [21], chemical, materials, and energy sciences [22,23]. The BL08U1A beamline is capable of a variety of experimental methods, including imaging methods such as STXM [24,25], nano-CT [26][27][28], and ptychography [29,30], as well as XAS methods such as total electron yield (TEY), X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism (XMCD), X-ray Magnetic Linear Dichroism (XMLD), and X-ray-Excited Optical Luminescence (XEOL) [31,32]. In order to obtain satisfactory experimental results, XAS methods require the incident X-ray flux to be measured for data normalization, and all XAS and imaging methods require a high and stable incident X-ray light flux to improve the signal-to-noise ratio.…”