Abstract

Variational techniques in physical optics constitute an elegant method of designing optimum diffractive elements and systems in the x-ray range. The method is based on defining functions of practical interest such as total input power, total output power, power diffracted into some observation region, system resolution, etc., and expressing them as functionals of the diffractive geometry. Variational analysis is then used to maximize selected combinations of these functions, which leads to the optimum geometries to be used in implementing the maximizations. Brief reviews of results obtained in applying this method to improving zone plate efficiencies in the x-ray range are given. The main part of the presentation, however, will focus on some of the newer theoretical problems presently being investigated by the author. These problems are associated with applying the variational method to optimizing the resolution of diffractive elements and systems, an issue of central importance in x-ray microscopy and spectrometry.

© 1986 Optical Society of America