Deep learning of structural morphology imaged by scanning X-ray diffraction microscopy

Abstract Scanning X-ray nanodiffraction microscopy is a powerful technique for spatially resolving nanoscale structural morphologies by diffraction contrast. One of the critical challenges in experimental nanodiffraction data analysis is posed by the convergence angle of nanoscale focusing optics wh...

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Main Authors: Aileen Luo, Tao Zhou, Martin V. Holt, Andrej Singer, Mathew J. Cherukara
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-97183-0
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author Aileen Luo
Tao Zhou
Martin V. Holt
Andrej Singer
Mathew J. Cherukara
author_facet Aileen Luo
Tao Zhou
Martin V. Holt
Andrej Singer
Mathew J. Cherukara
author_sort Aileen Luo
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Scanning X-ray nanodiffraction microscopy is a powerful technique for spatially resolving nanoscale structural morphologies by diffraction contrast. One of the critical challenges in experimental nanodiffraction data analysis is posed by the convergence angle of nanoscale focusing optics which creates simultaneous dependency of the far-field scattering data on three independent components of the local strain tensor—corresponding to dilation and two potential rigid body rotations of the unit cell. All three components are in principle resolvable through a spatially mapped sample tilt series; however, traditional data analysis is computationally expensive and prone to artifacts. In this study, we implement NanobeamNN, a convolutional neural network specifically tailored to the analysis of scanning probe X-ray microscopy data. NanobeamNN learns lattice strain and rotation angles from simulated diffraction of a focused X-ray nanobeam by an epitaxial thin film and can directly make reasonable predictions on experimental data without the need for additional fine-tuning. We demonstrate that this approach represents a significant advancement in computational speed over conventional methods, as well as a potential improvement in accuracy over the current standard.
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spelling doaj-art-b593b3c3adef4506a68f604f8d42dbde2025-08-20T03:03:25ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111010.1038/s41598-025-97183-0Deep learning of structural morphology imaged by scanning X-ray diffraction microscopyAileen Luo0Tao Zhou1Martin V. Holt2Andrej Singer3Mathew J. Cherukara4Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell UniversityCenter for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National LaboratoryCenter for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National LaboratoryDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell UniversityAdvanced Photon Source, Argonne National LaboratoryAbstract Scanning X-ray nanodiffraction microscopy is a powerful technique for spatially resolving nanoscale structural morphologies by diffraction contrast. One of the critical challenges in experimental nanodiffraction data analysis is posed by the convergence angle of nanoscale focusing optics which creates simultaneous dependency of the far-field scattering data on three independent components of the local strain tensor—corresponding to dilation and two potential rigid body rotations of the unit cell. All three components are in principle resolvable through a spatially mapped sample tilt series; however, traditional data analysis is computationally expensive and prone to artifacts. In this study, we implement NanobeamNN, a convolutional neural network specifically tailored to the analysis of scanning probe X-ray microscopy data. NanobeamNN learns lattice strain and rotation angles from simulated diffraction of a focused X-ray nanobeam by an epitaxial thin film and can directly make reasonable predictions on experimental data without the need for additional fine-tuning. We demonstrate that this approach represents a significant advancement in computational speed over conventional methods, as well as a potential improvement in accuracy over the current standard.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-97183-0
spellingShingle Aileen Luo
Tao Zhou
Martin V. Holt
Andrej Singer
Mathew J. Cherukara
Deep learning of structural morphology imaged by scanning X-ray diffraction microscopy
Scientific Reports
title Deep learning of structural morphology imaged by scanning X-ray diffraction microscopy
title_full Deep learning of structural morphology imaged by scanning X-ray diffraction microscopy
title_fullStr Deep learning of structural morphology imaged by scanning X-ray diffraction microscopy
title_full_unstemmed Deep learning of structural morphology imaged by scanning X-ray diffraction microscopy
title_short Deep learning of structural morphology imaged by scanning X-ray diffraction microscopy
title_sort deep learning of structural morphology imaged by scanning x ray diffraction microscopy
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-97183-0
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