Three-dimensional coherent Bragg imaging of rotating nanoparticles

TL;DR

This paper introduces an adapted algorithm for 3D coherent Bragg imaging that effectively captures the shape and strain of rotating nanoparticles, overcoming instability issues and enhancing the technique's potential with advanced synchrotron sources.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel diffraction volume assembly algorithm enabling 3D imaging of rotating nanoparticles, addressing instability challenges in BCDI.

Findings

Successfully reconstructed 3D shapes and strain fields of rotating gold nanoparticles.

Demonstrated the method's ability to overcome sample instability in BCDI.

Enabled the use of high-power synchrotron sources for advanced nanoparticle imaging.

Abstract

Bragg Coherent Diffraction Imaging (BCDI) is a powerful strain imaging tool, often limited by beam-induced sample instability for small particles and high power densities. Here, we devise and validate an adapted diffraction volume assembly algorithm, capable of recovering three-dimensional datasets from particles undergoing uncontrolled and unknown rotations. We apply the method to gold nanoparticles which rotate under the influence of a focused coherent X-ray beam, retrieving their three-dimensional shapes and strain fields. The results show that the sample instability problem can be overcome, enabling the use of fourth generation synchrotron sources for BCDI to their full potential.