X-ray magnifier.

A method for the magnification of x-ray radiographic images is described and demonstrated. This magnifier employs two successive asymmetric diffractions of an x-ray beam from highly perfect silicon crystals. The two diffractions magnify the beam in two perpendicular directions. A device with a magnification of 25x is demonstrated for Cu K(alpha) radiation. This device preserves and sometimes improves the resolution inherent in the radiographic technique. The x-ray magnifier is particularly useful in circumventing the relatively poor spatial resolution of electro-optical imaging systems needed for real-time observations. Basic limits on magnification and resolution using this method are described.