Cylindrical compound refractive x-ray lenses using plastic substrates

We have measured the intensity profile of x rays focused by compound refractive lenses (CRLs) fabricated using acrylic (Lucite) and polyethylene plastics. A linear array of closely spaced holes acts as multiple cylindrical lenses. The important parameters for this type of focusing are the focal length and absorption, and, for wavelengths shorter than 3 Angstrom, low atomic number plastics are suitable. We have experimentally demonstrated that we can achieve one-dimensional focusing for photon energies between 9 and 19.5 keV with focal lengths between 20 and 100 cm. For example, using 12 keV x rays we have achieved focal full width at half maximum linewidths down to 21 mu m at a distance of only 20 cm from the CRL. The x-ray source was a synchrotron emitter whose source size in the vertical dimension was 445 mu m. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0034-6748(99)03209-8].