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IMAGING with hard X-rays is an important diagnostic tool in medicine, biology and materials science. Contact radiography and tomography using hard X-rays provide information on internal structures that cannot be obtained using other non-destructive methods. The image contrast results from variations in the X-ray absorption arising from density differences and variations in composition and thickness of the object. But although X-rays penetrate deeply into carbon-based compounds, such as soft biological tissue, polymers and carbon-fibre composites, there is little absorption and therefore poor image contrast. Here we describe a method for enhancing the contrast in hard X-ray images of weakly absorbing materials by resolving phase variations across the X-ray beam^1–4. The phase gradients are detected using diffraction from perfect silicon crystals. The diffraction properties of the crystal determine the ultimate …