Cryo diffraction microscopy: Ice conditions and finite supports

Cryo specimen conditions greatly alleviate radiation damage in x-ray microscopy. In diffraction microscopy with plane-wave illumination, a finite support constraint is required in order to obtain a reconstructed image, but this demands that there be an area outside the specimen which is free of optical response. We report here observations based on our early attempts in cryo diffraction microscopy, where ice scatter from outside the cell and ice deposition during data taking have been problems. We outline solutions that are being implemented for future experiments.