Speckle-based imaging (SBI) applications with spectral photon counting detectors at the newly established OPTIMATO (OPTimal IMAging and TOmography) laboratory

Speckle-based imaging (SBI) is an advanced X-ray imaging technique that measures phase and dark-field signals, in addition to absorption signals. SBI uses random wavefront modulators to generate speckles and requires two images: one with a speckle pattern alone, and one with both the sample and speckles. SBI reconstruction algorithms retrieve three signals (transmission, refraction, and dark-field) by comparing the two images. In SBI, speckle visibility plays a crucial role in the retrieval of the three signals. When translating the technique from synchrotron sources to compact laboratory setups, the reduced coherence of the source and limitations in the available resolution yield lower speckle visibility, hampering the retrieval of phase and dark-field signals. In this context, direct-detection CdTe X-ray photon-counting detectors (XPCDs) provide an attractive solution, as they allow for a high detection efficiency and optimal spatial resolution enhancing speckle visibility. In this work, we present the newly established OPTIMATO (OPTimal IMAging and TOmography) laboratory for X-ray imaging hosted at the Elettra synchrotron (Trieste, Italy). The setup for SBI with resolutions up to 15 µm including an XPCD and a charge-integrating flat-panel detector (FPD) has been used to acquire SBI data. The main limiting factors when moving SBI applications from synchrotron facilities to compact laboratory setups are summarized. The advantages of XPCDs over FPDs are discussed by comparing the SBI images obtained using both detectors. The potential of the spectral decomposition approach via multi-threshold acquisitions using XPCDs is briefly introduced. The results shown in this work represent the first step toward the realization of a multimodal and multiresolution X-ray facility.