| Abstract: | A single‐bounce capillary with an ellipsoidal shape has been used for two‐step focusing in combination with a Fresnel zone plate (FZP). The FZP serves as a first microfocusing element and produces a demagnified micrometer image of the source, before the elliptical capillary makes a last final compression of the beam. With 15 keV X‐rays from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility BM5 bending magnet, the two‐step demagnification system produced a focus of about 250 nm with a gain of more than 1000. The use of an ellipsoidal capillary as a micro‐mirror under off‐axis illumination using micro‐prefocusing optics might open up new opportunities in nanofocusing developments. |
