Semi-classical Monte Carlo algorithm for the simulation of X-ray grating interferometry

Traditional simulation techniques such as wave optics methods and Monte Carlo (MC) particle transport cannot model both interference and inelastic scattering phenomena within one framework. Based on the rules of quantum mechanics to calculate probabilities, we propose a new semi-classical MC algorithm for efficient and simultaneous modeling of scattering and interference processes. The similarities to MC particle transport allow the implementation as a flexible c++ object oriented extension of EGSnrc—a well-established MC toolkit. In addition to previously proposed Huygens principle based transport through optics components, new variance reduction techniques for the transport through gratings are presented as transport options to achieve the required improvement in speed and memory costs necessary for an efficient exploration (system design—dose estimations) of the medical implementation of X-ray grating interferometry (GI), an emerging imaging technique currently subject of tremendous efforts towards clinical translation. The feasibility of simulation of interference effects is confirmed in four academic cases and an experimental table-top GI setup. Comparison with conventional MC transport show that deposited energy features of EGSnrc are conserved.