This book gives a thorough treatment of the rapidly-expanding field of coherent x-ray optics, which has recently experienced something of a renaissance with the availability of third-generation synchrotron sources. It is the first book of its kind. The author begins with a treatment of the fundamentals of x-ray diffraction for both coherent and partially coherent radiation, together with the interactions of x-rays with matter. X-ray sources, optics elements and detectors are then discussed, with an emphasis on their role in coherent x-ray optics. Various facets of coherent x-ray imaging are then discussed, including holography, interferometry, self imaging, phase contrast and phase retrieval. Lastly, the foundations of the new field of singular x-ray optics are examined. Most topics are developed from first principles, with numerous references given to the contemporary research literature. This book will be useful to x-ray physicists and students, together with optical physicists and engineers who wish to learn more about the fascinating subject of coherent x-ray optics.
