Three-dimensional phase retrieval in propagation-based phase-contrast imaging

We present a solution to the phase problem in near-field x-ray (propagation) imaging. The three-dimensional complex-valued index of refraction is reconstructed from a set of projections recorded in the near-field (Fresnel) setting at a single detector distance. The solution is found by an iterative algorithm based only on the measured data and the three-dimensional tomographic (Helgason-Ludwig) consistency constraint without the need for further a priori knowledge or other restrictive assumptions.