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Scientists led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed and simulated a new energy-efficient way to generate highly focused and finely controlled X-rays that are up to a thousand times more intense than those from traditional methods. The findings are published (opens in a new tab) in the journal Light: Science & Applications.
This paves the way for ultra high-quality X-ray imaging that uses powerful X-rays for detecting flaws in semi-conductor chips accurately. The new method could also allow more focused X-ray imaging to be done for health screening while using less energy.
The novel method is based on computer simulations (opens in a new tab) that shoot electrons at an ultra-thin material with highly ordered structures, such as graphene. The basic mechanism is similar to how X-rays are conventionally produced using X-ray tubes. But there is a twist: In the simulations, the wave-like patterns of how the electrons travel are “shaped” in a very specific way so that the particles’ traveling path matches and overlaps with the highly structured positions of the material’s atoms.
The international team of scientists who conducted this research include researchers from the Technion.