X-ray interferometry with two-dimensional gratings

Abstract

We have developed a two-dimensional (2D) x-ray grating interferometer, i.e. an interferometer formed by 2D gratings instead of line gratings, that yields differential phase and scattering images of the sample in two orthogonal directions simultaneously. In this paper we describe how the 2D grating interferometer can be practically implemented, the modes in which it can operate (moiré mode vs. phase-stepping mode) and we demonstrate, with numerical simulations of retrieved phase maps, the potentialities of the 2D grating interferometer particularly in comparison with the standard one-dimensional (1D) device. © 2011 American Institute of Physics.