In Situ Coherent X-ray Diffraction during Three-Point Bending of a Au Nanowire: Visualization and Quantification

The three-point bending behavior of a single Au nanowire deformed by an atomic force microscope was monitored by coherent X-ray diffraction using a sub-micrometer sized hard X-ray beam. Three-dimensional reciprocal-space maps were recorded before and after deformation by standard rocking curves and were measured by scanning the energy of the incident X-ray beam during deformation at different loading stages. The mechanical behavior of the nanowire was visualized in reciprocal space and a complex deformation mechanism is described. In addition to the expected bending of the nanowire, torsion was detected. Bending and torsion angles were quantified from the high-resolution diffraction data.