Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 28, 2026

10:12
Synchrotron X-ray Microdiffraction and Fluorescence Imaging of Mineral and Rock Samples
Published on: June 19, 2018
A novel multi-detection technique for three-dimensional reciprocal-space mapping in grazing-incidence X-ray
M Schmidbauer1, P Schäfer, S Besedin
1Leibniz Institut für Kristallzüchtung, Max-Born-Strasse 2, D-12489 Berlin, Germany. schmidbauer@ikz-berlin.de
Journal of Synchrotron Radiation
|October 29, 2008
Summary
A novel X-ray diffraction technique allows 3D reciprocal space mapping with a single scan using a 2D detector. This method efficiently analyzes diffuse scattering from nanostructures like quantum dots.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Crystallography
Background:
- Grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) is crucial for surface and thin-film analysis.
- Mapping reciprocal space in 3D typically requires complex sample manipulation or multiple scans.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a new GIXRD technique for efficient 3D reciprocal space mapping.
- To demonstrate the capability of the new method for analyzing diffuse scattering from nanostructures.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing a two-dimensional (2D) detector in a GIXRD setup.
- Performing a single rocking scan of the sample to capture 3D reciprocal space data.
Main Results:
- The new technique enables comprehensive 3D reciprocal space mapping via a single rocking scan.
- The setup's angular resolution and dynamic range of scattered intensity were evaluated.
- Diffuse scattering from strained (In,Ga)As quantum dots on a GaAs substrate was successfully measured.
Conclusions:
- The described GIXRD method offers an efficient approach for 3D reciprocal space analysis.
- This technique is well-suited for characterizing complex nanostructure systems, such as self-assembled quantum dots.
Related Concept Videos
X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples
X-ray diffraction or XRD is an analytical tool that utilizes X-rays to study ordered structures such as crystalline organic and inorganic samples, polycrystalline materials, proteins, carbohydrates, and drugs.
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...
X-ray Crystallography
The size of the unit cell and the arrangement of atoms in a crystal may be determined from measurements of the diffraction of X-rays by the crystal, termed X-ray crystallography.
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
Determination of Crystal Structures
In the late 1800s, the revelation that light extended beyond visible wavelengths led to the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Roentgen. Recognized as high-energy electromagnetic radiation with short wavelengths, X-rays prompted exploration into their interaction with crystals. Max von Laue proposed in 1912 that the periodic arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in crystals would cause them to diffract X-rays, a hypothesis confirmed through experiments with copper sulfate and zinc sulfide...
Three-Dimensional Microscopy in Microbiology
Three-dimensional imaging techniques are essential in cell biology, allowing researchers to visualize intricate cellular structures with high resolution. Two prominent methods, Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy (DIC) and Confocal Scanning Laser Microscopy (CSLM), provide distinct advantages for imaging live and thick specimens, respectively.Differential Interference Contrast MicroscopyDIC microscopy enhances contrast in transparent, unstained samples by converting phase...

