A track membrane as a phase test object for the X-ray spectrum range

The problem of X-ray plane wave passage through a homogeneous polymeric film with a through hole with a submicron radius–which is part of a standard track membrane with cylindrical pores–is considered. The intensity of the transient wave is estimated using the scalar Leontovich–Fock parabolic equation. Its numerical solution yields the spatial distribution of the field amplitude and wavefront perturbation in the neighborhood of the pore and beyond it at a wavelength of 0.154 nm depending on the nanohole size and film thickness. It is shown that the track membrane, as well as its inorganic replica, can serve as a high-contrast precision test object for studying characteristics of a phase-contrast X-ray microscope and image recovery schemes.