High energy grating techniques

An imaging technique comprising:

• a) providing a beam source;
• b) providing a beam detector;
• c) configuring the beam source and the beam detector such that a beam path connects the beam source and the beam detector;
• d) positioning an object in the beam path;
• e) positioning a phase grating in the beam path;
• f) positioning an analyzer grating in a first position in the beam path;
• g) projecting a first beam along the beam path thereby producing a first data set;
• h) moving the analyzer grating from the first position to a second position;
• i) projecting a second beam along the beam path thereby producing a second data set;
• j) moving the analyzer grating from the second position to a third position;
• k) projecting a third beam along the beam path thereby producing a third data set;
• l) conducting a regression analysis fitting pixel data from a group of data sets comprising the first data set, the second data set and the third data set to a predetermined function to establish a set of fitting coefficients;
• m) wherein the set of fitting coefficients characterize a set of interference properties associated with the object;
• n) wherein the predetermined function is dependent on the analyzer grating position;
• and
• o) wherein the predetermined function contains sinusoidal functions;
• p) wherein the fitting of pixel data occurs based on the relationship expressed in the equation:
• c
• ^
• g
• ⁢
• ⁢
• p
• =
• ∑
• μ
• =
• 1
• n
• ⁢
• ⁢
• B
• g
• ⁢
• ⁢
• p
• ⁢
• a
• μ
• ⁢
• ⁢
• p
• q) wherein crjν is an expected exposure based on grating position;
• r) wherein B is a fitting function matrix that is a M×n matrix wherein M is a number of exposure steps and g is an exposure step number;
• s) wherein a is a matrix containing the set of fitting coefficients;
• t) wherein n is an integer that is at least 3 and
• u) wherein y is a pixel number.