X-ray phase-contrast imaging using a quasi-monochromatic all-optical inverse Compton scattering source

Laser wakefield accelerators (LWFAs) offer acceleration gradients up to 1000 times higher than those of conventional radio-frequency accelerators, offering a pathway to significantly more compact and cost-effective accelerator systems. This breakthrough opens up new possibilities for laboratory-scale light sources. All-optical inverse Compton scattering (AOCS) sources driven by LWFAs produce high-brightness, quasi-monochromatic X rays with micrometer-scale source sizes, delivering the spatial coherence and resolution required for X-ray phase-contrast imaging (XPCI). These features position AOCS X-ray sources as promising tools for applications in biology, medicine, physics, and materials science. However, previous AOCS-based imaging studies have primarily focused on X-ray absorption imaging. In this work, we report successful experimental demonstrations of edge-enhanced in-line XPCI using energy-tunable, quasi-monochromatic AOCS X rays. With a spatial resolution of ∼20 μm, our results clearly show the potential of high-resolution, AOCS-based XPCI applications.