Three-dimensional femtosecond snapshots of isolated faceted nanostructures

• DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade5839
• Publication Date: 2023-02-22T18:57:21Z
• Authors: Alessandro Colombo; Simon Dold; Patrice Kolb; Nils Bernhardt; Patrick Behrens; Jonathan Correa; Stefan Düsterer; Benjamin Erk; Linos Hecht; Andrea Heilrath; Robert Irsig; Norman Iwe; Jakob Jordan; Björn Kruse; Bruno Langbehn; Bastian Manschwetus; Franklin Martinez; Karl-Heinz Meiwes...; Kevin Oldenburg; Christopher Passow; Christian Peltz; Mario Sauppe; Fabian Seel; Rico Mayro P. Tanyag; Rolf Treusch; Anatoli Ulmer; Saida Walz; Thomas Fennel; Ingo Barke; Thomas Möller; Bernd von Issendorff; Daniela Rupp
• Keywords: Polyhedron

The structure and dynamics of isolated nanosamples in free flight can be directly visualized via single-shot coherent diffractive imaging using the intense short pulses X-ray free-electron lasers. Wide-angle scattering images even encode three-dimensional morphological information samples, but retrieval this remains a challenge. Up to now, effective morphology reconstructions from single shots were only achieved fitting with highly constrained models, requiring priori knowledge about possible geometrical shapes. Here we present much more generic approach. Relying on model that allows for any sample described by convex polyhedron, reconstruct wide-angle diffraction patterns individual silver nanoparticles. In addition known structural motives high symmetries, retrieve imperfect shapes agglomerates which not accessible previously. Our results open new routes towards true 3D determination nanoparticles and, ultimately, movies ultrafast nanoscale dynamics.