Abstract

The application of x-ray and XUV radiation to a wide range of interesting biological and physical phenomena will require not only sources of radiation, but also the availability of appropriate "optical" components and techniques for manipulation, transport and detection. Recent technological advances, driven by widely differing scientific requirements, primarily in the areas of micro-electronics and hot, dense plasma studies, have led to broad based and rapidly emerging capabilities in this area. The fabrication of structures with characteristic dimensions on the scale of soft x-ray wavelengths (10 to 100's Å) is now possible. These diffractive elements are opening new opportunities with laboratory and astrophysical x-ray sources, as x-ray interference mirrors and splitters, x-ray lenses, transmission gratings and microscopes. Their use with quasi-coherent radiation sources in x-ray interference and holographic experiments will provide exciting new possibilities. In addition, parallel efforts have led to improved detectors, including picosecond soft x-ray streak cameras.

© 1982 Optical Society of America