A method is presented for quantitative phase-contrast tomography using unfiltered radiation from a small polychromatic source. The three-dimensional distribution of complex refractive index in a monomorphous object is reconstructed given a single projection image per view angle. The reconstruction algorithm is achromatic and stable with respect to high-spatial-frequency noise, in contrast to conventional tomography. The density distribution in a test sample was accurately reconstructed from polychromatic phase-contrast data collected with a point-projection x-ray microscope.

• Received 5 January 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.76.045804