X-ray microdiffraction analysis of radiation-induced defects in single grains of polycrystalline Fe

J. Synchrotron Rad. (2010). 17, 250–256 (doi.org/10.1107/S0909049509052078)

Excess scattering from irradiated polycrystalline Fe and total scattering from an unirradiated control sample, both cooled to 77 K to reduce thermal scattering.

Diffuse X-ray scattering has long been used to analyze lattice defects. Until now, mm-scale single crystals have been required for high-quality results. By focusing synchrotron X-rays to a micron-scale focus, comparable results are obtained from a single grain in a polycrystalline sample. This novel technique will enable the study of materials which cannot be grown as single crystals. Highly radioactive materials may now be studied more safely by using very small samples.