Single optical component performs soft X-ray imaging and spectroscopy

An international research team from Germany, Switzerland, and Japan has demonstrated that a single reflection zone plate can perform both soft X-ray imaging and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering mapping, Phys.org reported. Soft X-ray microscopy uses electromagnetic radiation within the soft X-ray band to produce images of small objects. [1][2][4]

Resonant inelastic X-ray scattering, abbreviated as RIXS, is an advanced spectroscopic technique used to examine electronic properties. The combined optical approach allows scientists to identify the precise physical location of structures within a material while simultaneously measuring how their electronic properties vary across the sample. [1]

X-rays were first discovered in November 1895 by German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen during cathode-ray tube experiments. Röntgen observed fluorescence on a nearby barium platinocyanide screen, which enabled non-invasive internal visualization by distinguishing dense tissues from softer structures. [5]

According to Phys.org, using a single optical element to execute both functions could simplify the design of future scientific instruments. These streamlined setups will benefit experiments that require detailed spatial mapping alongside electronic analysis of novel materials. [1][2]