Computer simulation of the zernike phase contrast in hard x-ray radiation using refractive lenses and zone plates

Computer simulation of an experiment on imaging transparent (phase) microobjects using the Zernike phase contrast method under hard X-ray radiation has been performed. The beam parameters typical for synchrotron radiation sources of the third generation were used in calculations. Both a refracting lens and a zone plate have been considered as a focusing element. The phase shifting quarter-wave plate is located at a spot of the point source image. The results of calculations have shown that the method can be successfully used for objects with the sizes greater than 0.1 mu m along and 1 mu m across the beam. It has been shown that the contrast is caused not only by increasing the intensity within the shadow of the objects, but also by decreasing the intensity in the area beyond the objects, which is necessary to retain the integral intensity.