Multilayer Bragg Fresnel zone plate for coherent HHG radiation

Coherent diffractive imaging in the (soft) X-ray regime is an emerging new lens-less X-ray microscopy technique with the future potential of molecular or even atomic resolution, because it is ultimately limited by the wavelength of the illuminating radiation and not by the imaging quality of the X-ray lens. However, this technique depends on the availability of coherent x-ray sources as well as optics for spectral filtering and focusing. We describe the development fabrication and testing of a reflective multilayer Bragg Fresnel phase zone plate for focusing coherent XUV radiation at 13 nm wavelength from a High Harmonic Generation source. This X-ray optical device serves for spectral filtering as well as sub-micron focusing of the HH spectrum in a single element for largely reduced losses. Large zone plate structures (conventional, spiral) matching the HH beam size are recorded by e-beam lithography in ultrathin HSQ e-beam resist and over-coated with a reflective Mo/Si multilayer by ion beam deposition. By accurately matching the groove depth of the diffractive structure to odd multiples of the quarter Bragg wavelength, the total diffraction efficiency can be improved by a factor of 4 theoretically compared to amplitude structures.