High-sensitivity strain mapping around epitaxial oxide nanostructures using scanning x-ray nanodiffraction

The generation and presence of strain around nanostructures of oxides is a key to their growth, properties, and functions, but it has been a challenge to experimentally measure its sign, magnitude, and spatial distribution. Combining diffuse scattering with scanning x-ray nanodiffraction, we have mapped the strain distribution in an oxide-on-oxide nanopatterned structure with a high sensitivity (10−4) and a submicrometer spatial resolution. An edge-induced strain distribution is observed from a sample of CoFe2O4 nanolines epitaxially grown on MgO substrate, which agrees quantitatively with the numerical simulations.