In standard diffraction experiments, ensembles of objects are characterized yieldingaveraged, statistical properties (meaningful only if the ensemble is monodisperse).Focused x-ray beams are used here to localize single nanostructures, identifying andprobing individual objects one by one. In a scanning mode, a 2-dimensional image of thesample is recorded, which allows the reproducible alignment of a specific nanostructurefor analysis. The x-ray scattered signal is analyzed and modelled, to give access to theshape, strain and composition inside the single object with sub-micron resolution.Combination of x-ray microdiffraction technique with other micro-probe experiments on thevery same individual object (simultaneous coupling of x-ray diffraction measurements withatomic force microscopy (AFM)) is also shown; we prove the possibility to interact withthe objects and to address elastic properties for individual nano-structures out of anensemble.
