Off-axis reconstruction of in-line holograms for twin-image elimination

In-line holography is an important experimental tool in particle-field anal ysis and soft X-ray holography. The sole disadvantage of in-line holography is the inherent twin-image problem. In this paper, a new method for twin-i mage elimination is proposed. This method is based on the principle of off- axis reconstruction of in-line holograms which is a new approach in the fie ld of optical holography. Theoretical analysis and computer simulation, as well as initial experimental results, show that it is a simple and efficien t method to eliminate the twin-image of in-line holograms. (C) 1999 Elsevie r Science B.V. All rights reserved.