2D-Omnidirectional Hard-X-Ray Scattering Sensitivity in a Single Shot.

X-ray scattering imaging can provide complementary information to conventional absorption based radiographic imaging about the unresolved microstructures of a sample. The scattering signal can be accessed with various methods based on coherent illumination, which span from self-imaging to speckle scanning. The directional sensitivity of the existing real space imaging methods is limited to a few directions on the imaging plane and requires scanning of the optical components, or the rotation of either the sample or the imaging setup, in order to cover the full range of possible scattering directions. In this Letter the authors propose a new method that allows the simultaneous acquisition of scattering images in all possible directions in a single shot. This is achieved by a specialized phase grating and a detector with sufficient spatial resolution to record the generated interference fringe. The structural length scale sensitivity of the system can be tuned by varying its geometry for a fixed grating design. Taking into account ongoing developments in the field of compact x-ray sources that allow high brightness and sufficient spatial coherence, the applicability of omnidirectional scattering imaging in industrial and medical settings is boosted significantly.