Two-dimensional x-ray focusing from compound lenses made of plastic

We have measured the intensity profile and transmission of x rays focused b y a series of either spherical or parabolic lenses fabricated using Mylar ( R) (C5H4O2) or Kapton (R) (polyimide). The use of plastics can extend the r ange of operation of compound refractive lenses, improving transmission and aperture size and reducing focal length. The number of unit lenses range f rom 193 to 600 for each compound refractive lens. Two-dimensional focusing was obtained for photon energies 8-14 keV with imaging distances of less th an 1 m. For example, full-width-half-maximum linewidths down to 16 mum at a distance of only 47 cm from the lens were achieved at 9 keV. The effective apertures of the refractive lenses were measured between 250 and 364 mum w ith peak transmissions between 10% and 33%. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0034- 6748(00)04712-2].