Quantum imaging with incoherently scattered light from a free-electron laser

Schneider R, Mehringer T, Mercurio G, Wenthaus L, Classen A, Brenner G, Gorobtsov O, Benz A, Bhatti D, Bocklage L, Fischer B, Lazarev S, Obukhov Y, Schlage K, Skopintsev P, Wagner J, Waldmann F, Willing S, Zaluzhnyy I, Wurth W, Vartanyants IA, Rohlsberger R, von Zanthier J (2018)

Publication Status: Published

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2018

Journal

Publisher: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP

Book Volume: 14

Pages Range: 126-129

Journal Issue: 2

DOI: 10.1038/NPHYS4301

Abstract

The advent of accelerator-driven free-electron lasers (FEL) has opened new avenues for high-resolution structure determination via diffraction methods that go far beyond conventional X-ray crystallography methods(1-10). These techniques rely on coherent scattering processes that require the maintenance of first-order coherence of the radiation field throughout the imaging procedure. Here we show that higher-order degrees of coherence, displayed in the intensity correlations of incoherently scattered X-rays from an FEL, can be used to image two-dimensional objects with a spatial resolution close to or even below the Abbe limit. This constitutes a new approach towards structure determination based on incoherent processes(11,12), including fluorescence emission or wavefront distortions, generally considered detrimental for imaging applications. Our method is an extension of the landmark intensity correlation measurements of Hanbury Brown and Twiss(13) to higher than second order, paving the way towards determination of structure and dynamics of matter in regimes where coherent imaging methods have intrinsic limitations(14).

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Involved external institutions

Universität Hamburg (UHH) Germany (DE) Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY Germany (DE) Russian Academy of Sciences / Росси́йская акаде́мия нау́к (RAS) Russian Federation (RU)

How to cite

APA:

Schneider, R., Mehringer, T., Mercurio, G., Wenthaus, L., Classen, A., Brenner, G.,... von Zanthier, J. (2018). Quantum imaging with incoherently scattered light from a free-electron laser. Nature Physics, 14(2), 126-129. https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/NPHYS4301

MLA:

Schneider, Raimund, et al. "Quantum imaging with incoherently scattered light from a free-electron laser." Nature Physics 14.2 (2018): 126-129.

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