Journal article

Using coherent X-ray ptychography to probe medium-range order

ATJ Torrance, B Abbey, CT Putkunz, D Pelliccia, E Balaur, GJ Williams, DJ Vine, AY Nikulin, I McNulty, HM Quiney, KA Nugent

Optics Express | OPTICAL SOC AMER | Published : 2013

Abstract

Characterization of microscopic structural order and in particular medium range order (MRO) in amorphous materials is challenging. A new technique is demonstrated that allows analysis of MRO using X-rays. Diffraction data were collected from a sample consisting of densely packed polystyrene-latex micro-spheres. Ptychography is used to reconstruct the sample transmission function and fluctuation microscopy applied to characterize structural order producing a detailed 'fluctuation map' allowing analysis of the sample at two distinct length scales. Independent verification is provided via X-ray diffractometry. Simulations of dense random packing of spheres have also been used to explore the ori..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Awarded by U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences


Funding Acknowledgements

We acknowledge useful discussions with D. Paterson of the Australian Synchrotron. The authors would like to acknowledge funding received from the Australian Research Council through its Centres of Excellence and Federation Fellowship programs. We also acknowledge funding from the Australian Synchrotron. Work at the Advanced Photon Source and the Center for Nanoscale Materials was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357.