arXiv subjects

Ivan A. Vartanyants

Publications and source records attributed to Ivan A. Vartanyants.

45 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2018

Unravelling structural rearrangement of polymer colloidal crystals under dry sintering conditions

Structural rearrangement of polystyrene colloidal crystals under dry sintering conditions has been revealed by in situ grazing incidence X-ray scattering. Measured diffraction patterns were analysed using distorted wave Born approximation (DWBA) theory and the structural parameters of as-grown colloidal crystals of three different particle sizes were determined for in-plane and out-of-plane directions in a film. By analysing the temperature evolution of diffraction peak positions, integrated intensities, and widths the detailed scenario of structural rearrangement of crystalline domains at a nanoscale has been revealed, including thermal expansion, particle shape transformation and crystal amorphisation. Based on DWBA analysis we demonstrate that in the process of dry sintering the shape of colloidal particles in a crystal transforms from a sphere to a polyhedron. Our results deepen the understanding of thermal annealing of polymer colloidal crystals as an efficient route to the design of new nano-materials.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2018

Towards Time-Resolved Atomic Structure Determination by X-Ray Standing Waves at a Free-Electron Laser

We demonstrate the structural sensitivity and accuracy of the standing wave technique at a high repetition rate free-electron laser, FLASH at DESY in Hamburg, by measuring the photoelectron yield from the surface SiO2 of Mo/Si multilayers. These experiments open up the possibility to obtain unprecedented structural information of adsorbate and surface atoms with picometer spatial accuracy and femtosecond temporal resolution. This technique will substantially contribute to a fundamental understanding of chemical reactions at catalytic surfaces and the structural dynamics of superconductors.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Evidence of a first-order smectic -- hexatic transition and its proximity to tricritical point in smectic films

Experimental and theoretical studies of a smectic-hexatic transition in freely suspended films of 54COOBC compound are presented. X-ray investigations revealed a discontinuous first-order transition into the hexatic phase. Moreover, the temperature region of two phase coexistence near the phase transition point diminishes with film thickness. The coexistence width dependence on film thickness was derived on the basis of the Landau mean-field theory in the vicinity of the tricritical point (TCP). Close to TCP the surface hexatic ordering penetrates anomalously deep into the film interior.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2017

Quantum Imaging with Incoherently Scattered Light from a Free-Electron Laser

The advent of accelerator-driven free-electron lasers (FEL) has opened new avenues for high-resolution structure determination via diffraction methods that go far beyond conventional x-ray crystallography methods. These techniques rely on coherent scattering processes that require the maintenance of first-order coherence of the radiation field throughout the imaging procedure. Here we show that higher-order degrees of coherence, displayed in the intensity correlations of incoherently scattered x-rays from an FEL, can be used to image two-dimensional objects with a spatial resolution close to or even below the Abbe limit. This constitutes a new approach towards structure determination based on incoherent processes, including Compton scattering, fluorescence emission or wavefront distortions, generally considered detrimental for imaging applications. Our method is an extension of the landmark intensity correlation measurements of Hanbury Brown and Twiss to higher than second-order paving the way towards determination of structure and dynamics of matter in regimes where coherent imaging methods have intrinsic limitations.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2017

Quantifying Angular Correlations between the Atomic Lattice and Superlattice of Nanocrystals Assembled with Directional Linking

We show that the combination of X-ray scattering with a nanofocused beam and X-ray cross correlation analysis is an efficient means for the full structural characterization of mesocrystalline nanoparticle assemblies with a single experiment. We analyze several hundred diffraction patterns of individual sample locations, i.e. individual grains, to obtain a meaningful statistical distribution of the superlattice and atomic lattice ordering. Simultaneous small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering of the same sample location allows us to determine the structure and orientation of the superlattice as well as the angular correlation of the first two Bragg peaks of the atomic lattices, their orientation with respect to the superlattice, and the average orientational misfit due to local structural disorder. This experiment is particularly advantageous for synthetic mesocrystals made by the simultaneous self-assembly of colloidal nanocrystals and surface-functionalization with conductive ligands. While the structural characterization of such materials has been challenging so far, the present method now allows correlating mesocrystalline structure with optoelectronic properties.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

High-dynamic-range water window ptychography

Ptychographic imaging with soft X-rays, especially in the water window energy range, suffers from limited detector dynamic range that directly influences the maximum spatial resolution achievable. High-dynamic-range data can be obtained by multiple exposures. By this approach we have increased the dynamic range of a ptychographic data set by a factor of 76 and obtained diffraction signal till the corners of the detector. The real space half period resolution was improved from 50 nm for the single exposure data to 18 nm for the high-dynamic-range data.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Local structure of semicrystalline P3HT films probed by nanofocused coherent x-rays

We present results of an x-ray study of structural properties of semicrystalline polymer films using nanofocused x-ray beam. We applied the x-ray cross-correlation analysis (XCCA) to scattering data from blends of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) embedded with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Spatially resolved maps of orientational distribution of crystalline domains allow us to distinguish sample regions of predominant face-on morphology,with a continuous transition to edge-on morphology. The average size of crystalline domains was determined to be of the order of 10 nm. As compared to pristine P3HT film, the P3HT/AuNPs blend is characterized by substantial ordering of crystalline domains, which can be induced by Au nanoparticles. The inhomogeneous structure of the polymer film is clearly visualized on the spatially resolved nanoscale 2D maps obtained using XCCA. Our results suggest that the observed changes of the polymer matrix within crystalline regions can be attributed to nanoconfinement in the presence of gold nanoparticles.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2013

Coherent X-ray Diffraction Imaging of Nanostructures

We present here an overview of Coherent X-ray Diffraction Imaging (CXDI) with its application to nanostructures. This imaging approach has become especially important recently due to advent of X-ray Free-Electron Lasers (XFEL) and its applications to the fast developing technique of serial X-ray crystallography. We start with the basic description of coherent scattering on the finite size crystals. The difference between conventional crystallography applied to large samples and coherent scattering on the finite size samples is outlined. The formalism of coherent scattering from a finite size crystal with a strain field is considered. Partially coherent illumination of a crystalline sample is developed. Recent experimental examples demonstrating applications of CXDI to the study of crystalline structures on the nanoscale, including experiments at FELs, are also presented.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2011

Modelling of partially coherent radiation based on the coherent mode decomposition

We present a method for the propagation of partially coherent radiation using coherent mode decomposition and wavefront propagation. The radiation field is decomposed into a sum of independent coherent modes. Each mode is then propagated separately using conventional wavefront propagation techniques. The summation of these modes in the plane of observation gives the coherence properties of the propagated radiation. As an example, we analyze propagation of partially coherent radiation transmitted through a single circular aperture.

physics.optics↗