Nanoscale x-ray imaging with high spectral sensitivity using fluorescence intensity correlations

TL;DR

A new x-ray imaging method called SIDI allows detailed imaging of nanostructures with different oxidation states, useful for studying catalysis and energy storage.

Contribution

SIDI introduces a novel approach for spatially resolving photoemission profiles in x-ray imaging of heterogeneous nanostructures.

Findings

SIDI enables dark-field imaging of nanostructures with heterogeneous oxidation states.

The method allows spatial resolution of shifts in photoemission profiles for detailed emitter distribution imaging.

SIDI is promising for ultrafast dynamics studies of nanostructures in catalysis and energy storage.

Abstract

This paper introduces spectral incoherent diffractive imaging (SIDI) as a novel method for achieving dark-field imaging of nanostructures with heterogeneous oxidation states. With SIDI, shifts in photoemission profiles can be spatially resolved, enabling the independent imaging of the underlying emitter distributions contributing to each spectral line. In the x-ray domain, this approach offers unique insights beyond the conventional combination of diffraction and x-ray emission spectroscopy. When applied at x-ray free-electron lasers, SIDI promises to be a versatile tool for investigating a broad range of systems, offering unprecedented opportunities for detailed characterization of heterogeneous nanostructures for catalysis and energy storage, including of their ultrafast dynamics.

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