[en] We recorded X-ray resonant magnetic scattering (XRMS) patterns from a 40 nm thin FePd film that exhibits magnetic stripes with ∼100 nm period. Measurements were performed using a CCD camera in reflection geometry for different light polarizations at the Fe L₃ resonance. We observed dichroic effects using circular polarization. By combining the scattering patterns obtained with both helicities we obtain the symmetric and antisymmetric part of the pattern. The experimental results are in agreement with a simple theoretical model

[en] Coherent x-ray micro-diffraction and local mechanical loading can be combined to investigate the mechanical deformation in crystalline nanostructures. Here we present measurements of plastic deformation in a copper crystal of sub-micron size obtained by loading the sample with an Atomic Force Microscopy tip. The appearance of sharp features in the diffraction pattern, while conserving its global shape, is attributed to crystal defects induced by the tip.

[en] We describe the key features and performance specifications of a facility for high-resolution single-crystal x-ray diffraction at Diamond Light Source. The scientific emphasis of the beamline is materials- and x-ray-physics, including resonant and magnetic scattering. We highlight some of the more novel aspects of the beamline design.

[en] Thermal motion induced (TMI) scattering is a unique probe of changes in electronic states with atomic displacements in crystals. We show that it provides a novel approach to extract atomic correlation functions. Using numerical calculations, we are able to reproduce the temperature-dependent energy spectrum of the 115 'forbidden' Bragg reflection in ZnO. Our previous experimental studies showed that the intensity growth of such reflections over a wide range of temperatures is accompanied by a dramatic change in the resonant spectral lineshape. This is the result of the interplay between the temperature-independent (TI) and temperature-dependent TMI contributions. Here, we confirm that the TI part of the resonant structure factor can be associated with the dipole-quadrupole contribution to the structure factor and show that the temperature-dependent part arises from the zinc and oxygen vibrations, which provide additional temperature-dependent dipole-dipole tensor components to the structure factor. By fitting the experimental data at various temperatures we have determined the temperature dependences of autocorrelation (u_x²(Zn)) and correlation (u_x(O)u_x(Zn)) functions.

[en] We report on the axis, magnitude and direction of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interaction in the weak ferromagnet FeBO₃. The latter relies on the determination of the phase of the magnetic x-ray scattering amplitude. We outline a new technique based on interference with forbidden quadrupole resonant scattering to obtain this phase information

[en] A new form of diffraction lines similar to Rutherford, Kikuchi and Kossel lines has been identified. They can be used to eliminate the need for sample/source matching in Lonsdale’s triple convergent line method in lattice-parameter determination. A new form of diffraction lines has been identified, similar to Rutherford, Kikuchi and Kossel lines. This paper highlights some of the properties of these lines and shows how they can be used to eliminate the need for sample/source matching in Lonsdale’s triple convergent line method in lattice-parameter determination

[en] Direct-illumination CCDs find increasing use in coherent X-ray imaging due to their good spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. These CCDs offer a high quantum efficiency for soft X-rays near the 3d transition metal L edges. We compare front-and back-illuminated CCDs and describe a method to obtain images with a large dynamic range (five orders of magnitude) and high spatial resolution. Back-illuminated CCDs are resistant to radiation damage at the soft X-ray energies and provide a true 13.5 μm pixel resolution. High quality diffraction images are obtained in magnetic studies from metallic multilayer structures in reflection geometry. (authors)

[en] Using soft x-ray resonant magnetic scattering with a coherent beam, we find evidence for memory effects in the magnetic configuration of a periodic array of submicron ferromagnetic lines under external magnetic field. The memory effect is explained by the dipolar coupling between the lines which is lost when the sample is saturated by the external magnetic field.

[en] We report observations of space-group-forbidden Bragg reflections in Potassium (KH₂PO₄), at the potassium K edge. We find clear evidence for a transition from one class of space-group-forbidden reflections, where scattering is ruled out by the electric dipole approximation, to a second class, in the ferroelectric phase, where scattering can proceed due to resonant anisotropy within the dipole approximation. The change of symmetry is clearly evidenced by the sudden change of intensity and energy spectrum of the forbidden reflections

[en] Thermal-motion induced (TMI) scattering is caused by the influence of atomic displacements on electronic states in crystals and strongly depends on temperature. It corresponds to dipole-dipole resonant x-ray scattering, but is usually accompanied by dipole-quadrupole scattering. The phenomenological theory supposes the dipole-quadrupole term to be temperature independent (TI). As a result, the transformation of the energy spectra with temperature observed experimentally in ZnO and GaN corresponds to the interference between the TMI and TI terms. In the present paper the direct confirmation of this theoretical prediction is given. Ab initio molecular dynamics was used to simulate the sets of atomic sites at various temperatures followed by quantum mechanical calculation of resonant Bragg reflection energy spectra. The results of simulation are in excellent coincidence with experimental energy spectra of forbidden reflections and confirm the earlier phenomenological conjecture about the interference between the TI dipole-quadrupole and TMI dipole-dipole contributions to the resonant atomic factor. (paper)