A novel approach to x-ray diffraction data analysis for non-destructive determination of the shape of nanoscale particles
and clusters in three-dimensions is illustrated with representative examples of composite nanostructures. The technique
is insensitive to the x-rays coherence, which allows 3D reconstruction of a modal image without tomographic synthesis
and in-situ analysis of large (over a several cubic millimeters) volume of material with a spatial resolution of few
nanometers, rendering the approach suitable for laboratory facilities.
We present the results of preliminary investigations determining the sensitivity and applicability of a novel x-ray
diffraction based nanoscale imaging technique, including simulations and experiments. The ultimate aim of this nascent
technique is non-destructive, bulk-material characterization on the nanometer scale, involving three dimensional image
reconstructions of embedded nanoparticles and in situ sample characterization. The approach is insensitive to x-ray
coherence, making it applicable to synchrotron and laboratory hard x-ray sources, opening the possibility of
unprecedented nanometer resolution with the latter. The technique is being developed with a focus on analyzing a
technologically important light metal alloy, Al-xCu (where x is 2.0-5.0 %wt). The mono- and polycrystalline samples
contain crystallographically oriented, weakly diffracting Al2Cu nanoprecipitates in a sparse, spatially random dispersion
within the Al matrix. By employing a triple-axis diffractometer in the non-dispersive setup we collected two-dimensional
reciprocal space maps of synchrotron x-rays diffracted from the Al2Cu nanoparticles. The intensity profiles of the
diffraction peaks confirmed the sensitivity of the technique to the presence and orientation of the nanoparticles. This is a
fundamental step towards in situ observation of such extremely sparse, weakly diffracting nanoprecipitates embedded in
light metal alloys at early stages of their growth.
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