Diffraction refers to the phenomena that occur when a wave is scattered by an object, resulting in an interference spectrum of maximum and minimum intensity. The waves can be light, X-ray, electron, etc. As long as the size of the object that interacts with the wave is of the order of its wavelength, the diffraction effect will be more pronounced. Therefore, the study of the atom and the arrangements it presents in the materials are possible thanks to the use of diffractive techniques. In the case of X-ray waves, diffraction occurs when an X-ray beam of a certain wavelength hits a crystalline structure. X-ray diffraction equipment is used for this. In the case of electrons, diffraction occurs when an electron beam falls on the material under study. This is done in transmission electron microscopes.
By studying the interference spectra that are produced, the crystal structures of materials can be identified relatively easily by applying the concepts of crystallography, real space, and reciprocal space. IFUNAM has both X-ray diffractometers and transmission electron microscopes that allow the study by diffractive techniques of the atomic arrangement in materials and the crystalline defects they present.
