Applications of x-ray interferometry in metrology and phase-contrast imaging

X-ray interferometry makes important contributions in several fields, such as the improvement of a set of self-consistent fundamental physical constants, the linking between macroscopic and microscopic length scales, the metrology of atomic-scale displacements, and the x-ray topography and tomography. This paper reviews x-ray interferomery by describing the principles of operation and the most important features of combined x-ray and optical interferometry, with emphasis on the scientific and technological challenges still deserving particular attention.