PopSci - A new type of X-ray microscope — or more appropriately, nanoscope — is another big breakthrough in the world of imaging the small. It computes images rather than glimpsing them directly, allowing scientists to see details at the nanoscale.
Researchers at the University of California – San Diego developed algorithms that can convert the diffraction patterns of X-rays bouncing off a minuscule object, yielding a picture of the tiniest structures. The computations work somewhat like adaptive optics, making continual calculations to yield a resolvable image.
The diffraction patterns are recorded and numerically inverted so the researchers can map an object’s magnetic domain configuration. Magnetic domains are structures in which the magnetic fields of atoms are aligned, and understanding how they can be changed and manipulated would be helpful to computer engineers trying to design smaller and more efficient hard drives and memory. As the space between magnetic domains gets smaller, computer engineers can store more bits of data. More
