Vacuum-ultraviolet Gabor holography with synchrotron radiation

We present the realization of high-resolution holographic microscopy using the original Gabor geometry and imaging with radiation in the vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) spectral region. Synchrotron VUV radiation with a wavelength of 13.8 nm was focused on a small pinhole generating a highly divergent light cone suitable for digital in-line holography. Objects of different thickness and materials have been used to test the imaging properties of holographic microscopy in the VUV wavelength range. The effective numerical aperture was limited by the illuminated area of the detector, yielding a theoretical resolution below 1 μm and an experimental one of approximately 1 μm.