Water window explained

The water window is a region of the electromagnetic spectrum in which water is transparent to soft x-rays. The window extends from the K-absorption edge of carbon at 282 eV (68 PHz, 4.40 nm wavelength) to the K-edge of oxygen at 533 eV (129 PHz, 2.33 nm wavelength). Water is transparent to these X-rays, but carbon and its organic compounds are absorbing. These wavelengths could be used in an x-ray microscope for viewing living specimens.^{[1] [2]} This is technically challenging because few if any viable lens materials are available above extreme ultraviolet.

See also

• electromagnetic absorption by water
• x-ray absorption spectroscopy

References

• Book: Handbook of Laser Technology and Applications: Applications. 2004. IOP Publishing. 978-0-7503-0966-0 . 2138. Sebastian Wachsmann-Hogiu . Alexander J Annala . Daniel L Farkas. Colin E. Webb and Julian D. C. Jones.

Notes and References

1. De Stasio . G.. Gilbert . B.. Nelson . T. . Hansen . R.. Wallace . J.. Mercanti . D. . Capozi . M.. Baudat . P. A.. Perfetti . P. . Margaritondo . G.. Tonner . B. P. . Feasibility tests of transmission x-ray photoelectron emission microscopy of wet samples . Review of Scientific Instruments . 71 . 11–14 . January 2000 . 10.1063/1.1150151 . 2000RScI...71...11D . https://web.archive.org/web/20170813225208/http://home.physics.wisc.edu/gilbert/publications/66.PDF . dead . 2017-08-13 .
2. Spielmann . C. . Burnett . N. H. . Sartania . S. . Koppitsch . R. . Schnürer . M. . Kan . C. . Lenzner . M. . Wobrauschek . P. . Krausz . F. . Generation of Coherent X-rays in the Water Window Using 5-Femtosecond Laser Pulses . Science . 278 . 5338 . 661–664 . 24 Oct 1997 . 10.1126/science.278.5338.661 . 1997Sci...278..661S .