Pinhole interferometry with coherent hard X-rays

Abstract

This paper discusses the experimental realisation of two types of X-ray interferometer based on pinhole diffraction. In both interferometers the beam splitter was a thin metal foil containing micrometer pinholes to divide the incident X-ray wave into two coherent waves. The interference pattern was studied using an energy-dispersive detector to simultaneously investigate in a large spectral range the diffraction properties of the white synchrotron radiation. For a highly absorbing pinhole mask the interference fringes from the classical Young's double-pinhole experiment were recorded and the degree of coherence of X-rays could be determined. In the case of low absorption of the metal foil at higher X-ray energies (>15keV) the interference pattern of a point diffraction interferometer was observed using the same set-up. The spectral refraction index of the metal foil was determined.