Microscopic Ghost Imaging with a Tabletop XUV Source

Abstract: This study introduces a novel lensless imaging approach in the extreme ultraviolet spectral range, utilizing ghost imaging techniques and a compact tabletop high-harmonic generation source. By eliminating conventional lenses and optics, this method enables high-resolution, low-dose imaging while reducing the complexity and cost associated with large-scale facilities. We evaluated the performance of various illumination patterns, including random, Hadamard, and Fourier patterns, in combination with different reconstruction algorithms such as traditional ghost imaging and compressive sensing. Our findings indicate that structured Hadamard patterns, coupled with compressive sensing algorithms, produce high-quality images, allowing for the reconstruction of detailed microscopic features. Furthermore, we analyzed the influence of experimental factors such as sample quality, pattern alignment, and noise reduction techniques on image fidelity. This research highlights the potential of lensless tabletop extreme ultraviolet ghost imaging for high-resolution, low-dose applications in materials science, biology, and nanotechnology.