Observation of x-ray radiation pressure effects on nanocrystals

Bragg coherent diffractive imaging is a powerful technique that can be used to explore the internal structure and strain of nanoscale crystalline objects. During the data collection process, the Bragg peak typically stays within a small range of pixels on the x-ray sensitive area detector. Here, we report abrupt and irreversible Bragg peak movement during the coherent x-ray data collection process for both Pd nanocubes and a Ni nanowire. We report that this phenomenon can be attributed to x-ray momentum transfer, also known as radiation pressure, to the nanocrystals. Understanding this effect is crucial given the anticipated coherent flux increases at next-generation synchrotron sources.