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Ptychography is a lensless imaging technology that is validated from hard X-rays to terahertz spectral range. It is most attractive for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and X-rays as optical elements are expensive and often not available. Typically, the set up involves coherently illuminated object that directs the scattered radiation normally to detector which is parallel to the object plane. Computer processing of diffraction patterns obtained when scanning the object gives the image, more precisely, the distribution of intensity and phase on its surface. However, this scheme is inefficient for EUV and X-rays due to poor reflectivity and low penetration in all materials. Reflection mode ptychography solves the problem if illumination angles do not exceed the critical angle of object material. Changing the geometry of experiment changes physical and mathematical model of image formation. Including: diffraction integral describing beam propagation from object to detector, inverse problem, optimization of object illumination angle, position and orientation of detector, choosing size and grid of coordinate and frequency computer domains. This paper considers the wavefield scattered to detector by obliquely illuminated object and determines a domain for processing of obtained scans. Solution of inverse problem with phase retrieval and resulting numerical images will be presented in the next paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Current approach to space-time coupling (STC) phenomena is given together with a complementary version of the STC concept that emphasizes the finiteness of the energy of the considered pulses. Manifestations of STC are discussed in the framework of the simplest exact localized solution of Maxwell's equations, exhibiting a "collapsing shell". It falls onto the center, continuously deforming, and then, having reached maximum compression, expands back without losing energy. Analytical solutions describing this process enable to fully characterize the field in space-time. It allowed to express energy density in the center of collapse in the terms of total pulse energy, frequency and spectral width in the far zone. The change of the pulse shape while travelling from one point to another is important for coherent control of quantum systems. We considered the excitation of a two-level system located in the center of the collapsing EM (electromagnetic) pulse. The result is again expressed through the parameters of the incident pulse. This study showed that as it propagates, a unipolar pulse can turn into a bipolar one, and in the case of measuring the excitation efficiency, we can judge which of these two pulses we are dealing with. The obtained results have no limitation on the number of cycles in a pulse. Our work confirms the productivity of using exact solutions of EM wave equations for describing the phenomena associated with STC effects. This is facilitated by rapid progress in the search for new types of such solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...