Microscopic Structure Analysis in Disordered Materials using Anomalous X-ray Scattering

Abstract

Abstract Although X-ray diffraction is still mainly used to determine crystal structures, the demand for an understanding of the atomic arrangement in disordered matter has progressively become more important over the past decades. However, apart from simple model systems, it is still a challenging task to unravel the microscopic ordering of the atoms in amorphous multi-component materials, although this knowledge becomes increasingly important in modern materials science, in which the physical properties are often related to the microscopic ordering of the different chemical species of the substance. This article reports about the combination of Anomalous X-ray Scattering (AXS) with Reverse Monte Carlo Computer simulation (RMC) as a proper tool to precisely determine the microscopic structural characteristics in such systems with high reliability. The basic principles of the method will be illustrated and some examples of modern materials will be given to proof the applicability and the capability of this method.