The flow diagram shows the numerical steps leading to the final image. Illustration from the paper.

The paper describes a method of imaging things without having to use a lens. Instead the group of scientists from Spain, USA, Germany and IFA, Aarhus University collect the strange spider-web-like diffraction patterns and then use a computer to figure out what the image looked like. The key thing in this work is to use soft X-ray radiation, and multiple colours making it possible to tune the sensitivity to different regions of the sample. Also various algorithms are used to compensate for the fact that the light was not as perfect (coherent) as one would have liked.

The paper was published 11 August 2021. The title is "Quantitative hyperspectral coherent diffractive imaging spectroscopy of a solid-state phase transition in vanadium dioxide", and the paper is available here.

The original paper contains information on the authors' affiliations, financial support and copyright issues.