Broadband high-resolution X-ray ptychography system spanning tender to hard X-ray regimes

X-ray ptychography is a high-resolution imaging technique capable of resolving nanoscale structures and probing chemical states. However, despite advances, most conventional X-ray ptychography systems have been designed to operate within a single energy regime, such as hard (> 5 keV), soft (< 2 keV) or tender (2-5 keV) X-rays. We have developed a high-efficiency achromatic ptychographic measurement system on beamline BL10U at NanoTerasu, a 3 GeV synchrotron radiation facility in Japan, that incorporates advanced Kirkpatrick-Baez focusing mirrors and a high-speed CITIUS detector. Utilizing this innovative system, we have successfully reconstructed phase images with a spatial resolution exceeding 50 nm from 200 nm-thick tantalum test charts at X-ray energies of 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 keV. We have performed energy scans around the Ca and S K edges on CaSO₄·2H₂O particles to demonstrate the spectromicroscopic capabilities of the system. The reconstructed images provide spatially resolved X-ray absorption spectra, revealing distinct edge features. This system not only enables element-specific imaging across the tender to hard X-ray spectrum but is also particularly advantageous for light-element materials, which benefit from enhanced phase contrast in the tender X-ray range. This advancement opens up new possibilities for in situ imaging of complex chemical environments in energy devices and biological specimens.