Development of x-ray phase contrast imaging applications with a laboratory
scale source have been limited by the long exposure time needed to obtain one
image. We demonstrate, using the Betatron x-ray radiation produced when
electrons are accelerated and wiggled in the laser-wakefield cavity, that a
high quality phase contrast image of a complex object (here, a bee), located in
air, can be obtained with a single laser shot. The Betatron x-ray source used
in this proof of principle experiment has a source diameter of 1.7 microns and
produces a synchrotron spectrum with critical energy E_c=12.3 +- 2.5 keV and
10^9 photons per shot in the whole spectrum.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figure
