X-ray diffraction as a tool to study nanostructures

Since more than a century x-ray diffraction (XRD) is a well-established Nobel prize winning tool in physics and chemistry to analyze the atomic structure of solids. Although primarily used as a bulk probe, the availability of Synchrotron radiation made it possible to study nanostructures also.

In this presentation, I will shortly discuss the basic principles of XRD and the peculiarities of its application to nanostructures followed by an outline of recent achievements in laboratory XRD instrumentation suitable for the analysis of surfaces and ultra-thin films.