EUV Ptychography: Advancing Material- Specific Imaging at the Nanoscale

While electron microscopy enables imaging of individual atoms, the sample thickness is typically limited to a few hundred nanometers. Although super-resolution optical microscopy permits high-resolution visualization of subcellular structures, it requires staining of the sample. In contrast, EUV and X-ray microscopy allow imaging of entire biological cells and other thick specimens with spatial resolutions down to ~10 nm.
In recent years, a new class of laser-driven, coherent EUV and soft X-ray sources based on high harmonic generation has been developed. These sources now make it possible to perform high-resolution coherent imaging experiments on a laboratory scale, which were previously restricted to large research facilities such as synchrotrons. In this talk, we will demonstrate high-resolution quantitative microscopy using EUV ptychography on a laboratory scale. We will also discuss how elemental composition can be extracted from these images, as illustrated with microbiological model organisms such as Aspergillus nidulans and Escherichia coli. Additionally, first results of imaging with higher photon energies in the soft X-ray spectral range will be presented, paving the way for future studies of intact biological samples in a near-native state at resolutions below 50 nm.