LAUSR

Using X-rays to map the elemental, chemical and structural properties of polycrystalline materials at the micro-scale typically requires multiple detectors or multiple instruments and hence the correlation of different results post-experiment. A new generation of X-ray detectors are currently emerging, which combine both energy and spatial resolution. These detectors are opening up a range of new opportunities for materials characterisation by combining multiple experiments into a single detector. The Maia [1], a pixelated energy-dispersive, area-sensitive, X-ray detector enables the simultaneous collection of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and spatially-resolved X-ray diffraction (XRD) data. This class of detector is driving the development of novel types of materials science characterization experiments. Mapping elemental composition throughout the bulk of materials is a staple technique at most synchrotrons and is a key part of materials analysis. Similarly, determining the crystallographic orientation and residual elastic strain within a sample is crucial for understanding and predicting a materials’ structural behaviour and response to external stresses. Here we highlight the capabilities of the Maia detector for simultaneously collecting XRF and XRD data from a polycrystalline sample (a Ni foil) and the methods developed to characterize the crystallographic structure, elemental composition and surface topography across the grain structure.