X-ray scattering techniques use the change in a scattered photon's direction and, in inelastic measurements, its energy to probe matter. Inelastic X-ray scattering transfers energy to excitations such as phonons; elastic methods probe spatial structure without that energy transfer.
Inelastic X-ray scattering measures energy and momentum transferred from X-rays to matter. With sufficiently high energy resolution, it can map a phonon dispersion relation by measuring inelastic peaks at different momentum transfers. Crystal momentum is determined modulo a reciprocal lattice vector.
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X-ray scattering techniques are a set of experimental methods used to analyze the structure of materials at the atomic or molecular level by scattering X-rays off of the sample. The fundamental principle behind these techniques is the interaction of X-rays with matter, which leads to scattering due to variations in electron density within the sample. These techniques are widely used in various fields, including materials science, biology, chemistry, and physics.