Road to micron resolution with a color X-ray camera -- polycapillary optics characterization

Abstract: In a color X-ray camera, spatial resolution is achieved by means of a polycapillary optic conducting X-ray photons from small regions on a sample to distinct energy dispersive pixels on a CCD matrix. At present, the resolution limit of color X-ray camera systems can go down to several microns and is mainly restricted to pixel dimensions. The recent development of an efficient subpixel resolution algorithm allows a release from pixel size, limiting the resolution only to the quality of the optics. In this work polycapillary properties that influence the spatial resolution are systematized and assessed both theoretically and experimentally. It is demonstrated that with the current technological level reaching one micron resolution is challenging, but possible.