High-flux ptychographic imaging using the new 55 µm-pixel detector `Lambda' based on the Medipix3 readout chip

Abstract

Suitable detection systems that are capable of recording high photon count rates with single-photon detection are instrumental for coherent X-ray imaging. The new single-photon-counting pixel detector `Lambda' has been tested in a ptychographic imaging experiment on solar-cell nanowires using Kirkpatrick-Baez-focused 13.8keV X-rays. Taking advantage of the high count rate of the Lambda and dynamic range expansion by the semi-transparent central stop, a high-dynamic-range diffraction signal covering more than seven orders of magnitude has been recorded, which corresponds to a photon flux density of about 10(5)photonsnm(-2)s(-1) or a flux of approximate to 10(10)photonss(-1) on the sample. By comparison with data taken without the semi-transparent central stop, an increase in resolution by a factor of 3-4 is determined: from about 125nm to about 38nm for the nanowire and from about 83nm to about 21nm for the illuminating wavefield.