Coherent imaging using SACLA

X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) with femtosecond pulse duration offer an innovative solution to transcend the spatial resolution limitation in conventional X-ray imaging for biological samples and soft matters by clearing up the radiation damage problem using the "diffraction-before-destruction" strategy. Building on this strategy, the authors are developing a method to image solution sample under controlled environment, pulsed coherent X-ray solution scattering (PCXSS), using XFELs and phase retrieval algorithms in coherent diffractive imaging (CDI). This article describes the basics of PCXSS and examples of PCXSS measurement, for a living cell and self-assemblies of gold nanoparticles, performed by the authors using SACLA. An attempt toward the industrial application of PCXSS is also described. (author)