Franz Pfeiffer (physicist)

Franz Pfeiffer (born 25 November 1972 in Kösching, Germany) is a German physicist known for his contributions to the development of Phase-contrast X-ray imaging and its applications in biomedical research.

Franz Pfeiffer
Born	(1972-11-25)25 November 1972 Kösching, Germany
Nationality	German
Alma mater	Saarland University Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
Known for	Grating-based phase-contrast X-ray imaging Dark-field imaging
Awards	Leibniz Prize (2011)
Scientific career
Fields	Physics
Institutions	Technical University Munich EPFL Swiss Light Source

Research

Pfeiffer contributed to the extension of known imaging modalities such as Differential interference contrast microscopy and Dark-field microscopy to the X-ray regime. In 2006 he demonstrated the feasibility of phase sensitive X-ray imaging with conventional, polychromatic X-ray sources and a grating interferometer.^[1] This enlarged the potential of X-ray phase imaging for clinical use as before the technique was only possible at synchrotron facilities. Pfeiffer further introduced the extraction of a supplementary signal (so-called "dark-field signal") sensitive to porous microstructure of a sample based on X-ray scattering.^[2] His research group at the Technical University Munich demonstrated a range of possible applications of the new modalities in medical and material research.

Further Pfeiffer is known for his research in X-ray Ptychography,^[3] X-ray tensor tomography,^[4][5] grating-based Neutron interferometric imaging^[6] and iterative CT reconstruction algorithms. He is author and co-author of more than 250^[7] scientific publications and inventor in several patents.

In 2011 he was awarded the Leibniz Prize for his achievements in X-ray physics.