STIMULATED SCINTILLATION EMISSION DEPLETION (SSED) FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION QUANTITATIVE X-RAY NANOIMAGING
The present invention suggests a new method for generating high spatial resolution X-ray images of an object. Differently than other existing X-ray imaging setups, our configuration employs stimulated scintillation emission depletion and improves the spatial resolution beyond the diffraction limit of conventional scintillation emission. In our new method, X-rays (2) passing through an object (3) are partially absorbed by a luminescence screen (5). The emission of the luminescence screen (5) generates an image of the object (3). A de-excitation light (8) comprising zero-intensity point in at least one focal area is applied to the luminescence screen (5). This light de-excites the excited luminescence centers leaving sub-diffraction sized spots of the spontaneously emitted scintillation. The image of the object (3) in the luminescence screen (5) is scanned, and a two-dimensional X-ray image of one projection is reconstructed. By measuring different two-dimensional projections, a three-dimensional image of the object (3) is reconstructed.