Recent Advances in Huang Diffuse Scattering

Measurements of the diffuse X-ray (or neutron) scattering allow the detailed investigation of point defects in crystalline solids. The method can be applied for defect sizes ranging from isolated point defects up to large dislocation loops. The diffuse scattering intensity close to the Bragg reflections, Huang Diffuse Scattering and Asymptotic Diffuse Scattering, is of special interest as the intensities from lattice distorting defects are high and the scattering theory is most straightforward for this region of the reciprocal lattice. After a short introduction to the theoretical background and to the experimental techniques the capabilities and limitations of the method will be demonstrated with examples of experimental results. i) The structure of interstitial atoms has been investigated for low temperature irradiated crystals and for metals with interstitially dissolved solute atoms. ii) The mobility and growth of interstitial agglomerates during annealing stage II of irradiated metals is discussed. The influence of impurities on the cluster growth is demonstrated for the example of Nibase alloys. iii) Defect clusters and defect distributions within cascades as observed after different types of irradiations are discussed.