Revealing three-dimensional structure of individual colloidal crystal grain by coherent x-ray diffractive imaging

TL;DR

This study uses coherent x-ray diffractive imaging to reconstruct the 3D structure of a single colloidal crystal grain, revealing detailed stacking sequences and defects at the particle level.

Contribution

It demonstrates the first 3D reconstruction of colloidal crystal structure at the particle level using phase retrieval from coherent x-ray diffraction data.

Findings

Resolved positions of individual colloidal particles.

Identified stacking sequences and defects.

Reconstructed 3D crystal structure.

Abstract

We present results of a coherent x-ray diffractive imaging experiment performed on a single colloidal crystal grain. The full three-dimensional (3D) reciprocal space map measured by an azimuthal rotational scan contained several orders of Bragg reflections together with the coherent interference signal between them. Applying the iterative phase retrieval approach, the 3D structure of the crystal grain was reconstructed and positions of individual colloidal particles were resolved. As a result, an exact stacking sequence of hexagonal close-packed layers including planar and linear defects were identified.