Hard X-ray phase-contrast imaging with the Compact Light Source based on inverse Compton X-rays

The first imaging results obtained from a small-size synchrotron are reported. The newly developed Compact Light Source produces inverse Compton X-rays at the intersection point of the counter propagating laser and electron beam. The small size of the intersection point gives a highly coherent cone beam with a few milliradian angular divergence and a few percent energy spread. These specifications make the Compact Light Source ideal for a recently developed grating-based differential phase-contrast imaging method.