Dichroic coherent diffractive imaging

Understanding electronic structure at the nanoscale is crucial to untangling fundamental physics puzzles such as phase separation and emergent behavior in complex magnetic oxides. Probes with the ability to see beyond surfaces on nanometer length and sub-picosecond time scales can greatly enhance our understanding of these systems and will undoubtedly impact development of future information technologies. Polarized X-rays are an appealing choice of probe due to their penetrating power, elemental and magnetic specificity, and high spatial resolution. The resolution of traditional X-ray microscopes is limited by the nanometer precision required to fabricate X-ray optics. Here we present a novel approach to lensless imaging of an extended magnetic nanostructure, in which a scanned series of dichroic coherent diffraction patterns is recorded and numerically inverted to map its magnetic domain configuration. Unlike holographic methods, it does not require a reference wave or precision optics. In addition, it enables the imaging of samples with arbitrarily large spatial dimensions, at a spatial resolution limited solely by the coherent X-ray flux, wavelength, and stability of the sample with respect to the beam. It can readily be extended to nonmagnetic systems that exhibit circular or linear dichroism. We demonstrate this approach by imaging ferrimagnetic labyrinthine domains in a Gd/Fe multilayer with perpendicular anisotropy and follow the evolution of the domain structure through part of its magnetization hysteresis loop. This approach is scalable to imaging with diffraction-limited resolution, a prospect rapidly becoming a reality in view of the new generation of phenomenally brilliant X-ray sources.