Advances in Coherent Diffractive Imaging

Dear Colleagues,

Coherent Diffractive Imaging (CDI) is a lensless microscopy technique that utilizes coherent radiation, such as X-rays, electrons, or visible light, to image nanoscale structures. By illuminating a sample with a coherent beam, the resulting diffraction pattern is captured on a detector in which process the phase information is lost. Iterative algorithms (e.g., Gerchberg–Saxton) alternate between real and reciprocal space, applying constraints (e.g., measured intensities) to reconstruct the sample image computationally. Unlike traditional microscopy, CDI bypasses lenses, avoiding aberrations and surpassing the diffraction limit, enabling ultra-high resolution.

Over the past two decades, CDI, especially its scanning version, i.e., ptychography, has expanded into a range of methods via its integration with other techniques such as tomography, spectroscopy, magnetic dichroism and diffraction. The applications of CDI span materials science, nanotechnology, and biology, where the non-destructive, high-resolution imaging of specimens such as viruses or nanomaterials is crucial.

This Special Issue focuses on advances in the methodologies, algorithms, and applications that enable the utilization of CDI in a broader range of research fields. Original research articles and reviews are welcome. The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

• Methodological developments that facilitate experiments;
• Novel applications that explore new possibilities;
• Computational algorithms that overcome inversion challenges;
• Machine learning methods that enable ‘real-time’ data processing.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Peng Li
Dr. Jiecheng Diao
Guest Editors

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• coherent diffractive imaging
• ptychography
• phase retrieval
• machine learning
• inversion problem