Abstract: This book offers a grounding in the field of coherent X-ray optics, which in the closing years of the 20th century experienced something of a renaissance with the availability of third-generation synchrotron sources. It begins with a treatment of the fundamentals of X-ray diffraction for both coherent and partially coherent radiation, together with the interactions of X-rays with matter. X-ray sources, optical elements, and detectors are then discussed, with an emphasis on their role in coherent X-ray optics. Various aspects of coherent X-ray imaging are then considered, including holography, interferometry, self imaging, phase contrast, and phase retrieval. The foundations of the new field of singular X-ray optics are examined, focusing on the topic of X-ray phase vortices. Most topics in the book are developed from first principles using a chain of logic which ultimately derives from the Maxwell equations, with numerous references to the contemporary and historical research literature.

Keywords: synchrotron, X-ray diffraction, holography, interferometry, phase contrast, phase retrieval, singular optics, X-ray vortices