We present a novel experimental approach employing high-energy X-ray scattering in ultra-small-angle grazing-incidence geometry to investigate local atomic structures in single-crystalline thin films. This non-destructive and non-invasive method overcomes the limitations of conventional moderate-energy grazing-incidence diffraction, achieving both high reciprocal-space resolution and coverage and high surface sensitivity. By leveraging high-energy X-ray diffraction, we enable quantitative analysis of local structures in the model system of ferroelectric PbTiO3 and dielectric SrTiO3 superlattices through three-dimensional difference pair distribution function analysis. The approach provides detailed insights into atomic structures in single-crystalline thin films with local order, capturing information on spatial correlations within and across unit cells.
Bang et al. (Wed,) studied this question.