From geometrical optics, the laws of reflection and refraction, ray tracing techniques, conservation of energy within a bundle of rays, and the condition of constant optical path length provide a foundation for design of laser beam shaping systems. Geometrical optics design methods are presented for shaping the irradiance profile of both rotationally and rectangular symmetric laser beams. Appli...

2014 The paper describes the principles and theoretical models of new X-ray optical elements based on the behaviour of Bragg-Fresnel diffraction. The use of volume diffraction permits one to achieve better spatial resolution compared with conventional plane optics and bending mirrors. The construction of Bragg-Fresnel elements combines the advantages of high-resolution Fresnel optics with stabi...

The requirements on and the performance of holographic Fourier transform lenses for a matched-filter optical processor are discussed. The holographic aberrations were analyzed using a ray-tracing computer program, and holographic lenses were fabricated and assembled into an optical processor. Analysis and experimental results show that holographic optics are capable of processing images of larg...

Since several years pnCCDs are well known as radiation detectors for spectroscopic imaging in many fields of science: X-Ray Fluorescence analysis (XRF), X-ray astronomy, X-ray Free Electron Laser science, synchrotrons and in the visible range as wave front sensors in adaptive optics systems. For direct electron detection in the focal plane of (S)TEMs they have delivered remarkable results in an...

A packet of light rays is defined that is equivalent to a Gaussian beam of light. The transformation of the Gaussian beam as it passes through any combination of perfect lenses and flat dielectric interfaces can be found by applying geometric optics to the equivalent ray packet.. The envelope of the ray packet gives the Gaussian beam spot size and the curves perpendicular to the average ray slo...

X-ray ptychography is being utilized for a wide range of imaging experiments with a resolution beyond the limit of the X-ray optics used. Introducing a parameter for the ptychographic resolution gain Gp (the ratio of the beam size over the achieved pixel size in the reconstructed image), strategies for data sampling and for increasing imaging throughput when the specimen is at the focus of an X...

The XRT technique is a further special X-ray microdiffraction method where local X-ray interferences are produced by directing an X-ray or synchrotron beam from an external source with default monochromatic radiation of high intensity and a small diameter (e.g. application of capillary optics) on a crystalline region of a sample. Thereby for each diffracting net plane set a cone can be indicate...

The issue of beam-induced damage on diffractive hard X-ray optics is addressed. For this purpose a systematic study on the radiation damage induced by a high-power X-ray beam is carried out in both ambient and inert atmospheres. Diffraction gratings fabricated by three different techniques are considered: electroplated Au gratings both with and without the polymer mold, and Ir-coated Si grating...

The Soft X-ray Undulator beamline at the NSLS supports a soft x-ray imaging program including scanning transmission microscopy, scanning photoemission microscopy, Gabor and Fourier transform holography, and large angle diffraction. Zone plates from an LBL Center for X-ray Optics/IBM collaboration are used as optical elements. The current instrumentation of the beamline and the experimental stat...