Microstructures in 4D

摘要

The ability to watch the three-dimensional growth of a single crystal that is deeply embedded in a bulk sample, as Schmidt et al. report on page 229 of this issue, is a breakthrough in materials characterization. Their work demonstrates the opportunities created for materials research by further 4evelopment of the three-dimensional x-ray diffraction (3DXRD) microscope at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble. The 3DXRD microscope, which Schmidt et al. developed into a truly 4DXRD microscope by adding the dimension of time, is likely to play a major role in revealing the underlying mechanisms of evolving microstruc-tures of partially or fully crystalline materials such as metals, ceramics, and polymers.