New X-Ray Technology Reveals What Objects Are Made Of, Using 97% Less Data

Imagine being able to look inside an object and see not only its internal structure, but exactly which chemical elements it contains and where they are located. Now imagine doing it with just a fraction of the measurements normally needed.

That's what researchers at Bar-Ilan University, working with European scientists, have achieved. Their new X-ray imaging method can produce detailed 3D maps of an object's chemical composition using 43 times fewer measurements than conventional scanning methods, a reduction of more than 97%.

The breakthrough, published in the scientific journal Optica, could help scientists study everything from advanced materials and batteries to biological tissues, while spending significantly less time collecting data.

How Can X-Rays Reveal What an Object Is Made Of?

Most of us are familiar with X-rays from medical imaging. They allow doctors to see structures hidden inside the body, such as bones.

But scientists can use a different type of X-ray imaging to answer another question: What is this object actually made of?

The technique, called X-ray fluorescence imaging, works by directing X-rays at a sample. Different chemical elements respond by emitting their own characteristic X-ray signals, allowing researchers to identify them and determine where they are located.

The challenge comes when scientists want to create a three-dimensional map. Traditional methods require scanning a sample point by point, often from multiple angles. This can involve thousands of measurements and take considerable time.

The Bar-Ilan research team found a way to dramatically reduce that work.

How Does the New 3D X-Ray Imaging Method Work?

Instead of scanning every tiny point separately, the researchers developed a way to collect information from multiple parts of an object at once.

They placed a specially patterned tungsten mask in front of an X-ray beam. The mask changes how the X-rays illuminate the sample, creating a pattern that carries information about its internal composition.

As the sample rotates, a detector collects signals from the different chemical elements inside it. A mathematical algorithm then combines those signals to reconstruct a complete 3D chemical map.

Think of it like solving a puzzle. Instead of examining every piece individually, the computer uses a smaller number of clues to work out where the pieces belong.

To test the technique, the researchers examined a sample containing copper, zirconium, and silver. They successfully reconstructed the positions of microscopic wires and particles using more than 97% fewer measurements than traditional methods would require.

“The surprising part was how much information we could recover from so little data,” says Adi Ben-Yehuda, a PhD student in Prof. Sharon Shwartz’s laboratory at Bar-Ilan University’s Department of Physics. “Instead of measuring every point separately, we use a structured X-ray pattern and let the reconstruction algorithm piece together the information. It is a different way of thinking about how an X-ray image can be created.”

Why Is Faster X-Ray Imaging Important?

In scientific research, collecting data can be one of the most time-consuming parts of an experiment.

This is especially true at facilities called synchrotrons, which generate extremely powerful X-ray beams. Scientists around the world use these facilities to investigate the structure and composition of materials at microscopic scales, but access to them is limited.

A technique that requires 43 times fewer measurements could make a major difference.

Researchers could potentially examine larger samples, study more objects during their allocated research time, and explore materials that are too delicate for prolonged X-ray exposure.

The possibilities extend across several scientific fields, including:

• Materials science: Understanding the chemical structure of advanced materials.
• Green energy: Investigating the materials used in batteries and other energy technologies.
• Biology: Mapping chemical elements inside biological samples.
• Geology: Studying the composition of rocks, minerals, and other natural materials.

“X-ray imaging has traditionally been a trade-off between the amount of information we want and the time and data required to obtain it,” says Prof. Sharon Shwartz of Bar-Ilan University. “Our approach shows that this trade-off can be changed. By designing the X-ray illumination together with the computational reconstruction, we can recover detailed three-dimensional chemical information from a remarkably small number of measurements.”

What's Next for This X-Ray Imaging Technology?

The researchers have demonstrated that their method works on samples containing different metals. Their next goal is to test it on more complex materials, including biological and geological samples.

They also plan to explore how artificial intelligence and deep learning could further improve the speed and resolution of the imaging process.

The technology is still at the research stage, but it offers a promising new direction for scientists who need detailed information about the materials they study.

By finding smarter ways to collect and interpret X-ray data, the researchers are making it possible to learn more about the hidden chemical world inside objects, with far fewer measurements.

An International Research Collaboration

The study was led by researchers at Bar-Ilan University in collaboration with Dr. Alexander Rack of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) and Dr. Nicola Viganò of CEA and Université Grenoble Alpes in France.

The research was supported by the Israel Science Foundation (ISF) and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF).

Read the scientific paper: Direct Volumetric Reconstruction for Highly Compressive X-Ray Fluorescence Ghost Tomography, published in Optica.