BCDI: tools for pre(post)-processing Bragg and forward coherent X-ray diffraction imaging data

Introduction

BCDI stands for Bragg coherent X-ray diffraction imaging. It can be used for:

• pre-processing BCDI and forward CDI data (masking aliens, detector gaps ...) before phase retrieval
• post-processing after phase retrieval (phase offset and phase ramp removal, averaging, apodization, ...)
• data analysis on diffraction data (stereographic projection, angular cross-correlation analysis, domain orientation fitting ...)
• data analysis on phased data (resolution calculation, statistics on the retrieved strain ...)
• simulation of diffraction intensity (including noise, detector gaps, displacement field ...)
• creating figures for publication using templates

Considering that most parts of the analysis pipeline are actually beamline-independent, we tried to reuse as much as possible code, and leverage inheritance when it comes to facility or beamline-dependent details.

BCDI as a python toolkit

BCDI can be used as a python library with the following main modules:

1. :mod:`bcdi.algorithms`: PSF and image deconvolution using Richardson-Lucy algorithm
2. :mod:`bcdi.experiment`: definition of the experimental geometry (beamline, setup, detector, diffractometer...).
3. :mod:`bcdi.graph` : generation of plots using predefined templates.
4. :mod:`bcdi.postprocessing`: methods for post-processing the complex output of a phasing algorithm. Stereographic projection of a diffraction peak or a reconstructed crystal. Automatic detection of reconstructed facets and statistics on facet strain.
5. :mod:`bcdi.preprocessing`: methods for pre-processing the diffraction intensity in Bragg CDI or forward CDI geometry.
6. :mod:`bcdi.simulation`: in BCDI geometry, calculation of the diffraction intensity based on FFT or kinematical sum. It can include a displacement field, noise, detector gaps etc... In forward CDI geometry, calculation of the Bragg peak positions in 3D for a mesocrystal, knowing the unit cell and unit cell parameter.
7. :mod:`bcdi.utils`: generic functions about data loading, fitting functions, cropping/ padding, image registration, validation functions ...
8. :mod:`bcdi.xcca`: X-ray cross-correlation analysis related methods

The central module is :mod:`bcdi.experiment`, which contains all setup-related implementation. This is the place where to look at if you want to add support for a new beamline or detector.

Acknowledgment and third party packages

We would like to acknowledge the following packages:

• xrayutilities: (c) Dominik Kriegner, Eugen Wintersberger. See: J. Appl. Cryst. 46, 1162-1170 (2013).
• nxsReady: (c) Andrea Resta @ SOLEIL SIXS
• image_registration.py: original code from Xianhui Xiao @ APS Sector 2. See: Opt. Lett. 33, 156-158 (2008).
• Some functions were adapted from PyNX: (c) Vincent Favre-Nicolin. See: http://ftp.esrf.fr/pub/scisoft/PyNX/ and J. Appl. Cryst. 49, 1842-1848 (2016).
• Anton Mikhailov for the turbo colormap. See https://ai.googleblog.com/2019/08/turbo-improved-rainbow-colormap-for.html

The following third-party packages are required:

• numpy, scipy, scikit-image, matplotlib, pyqt5, vtk, h5py, hdf5plugin, fabio, silx, xrayutilities
• lmfit: for scripts performing fits
• pytest: to run the tests
• pytables: to load the devices dictionnary for SIXS data
• moviepy, imagemagick or ffmpeg for creating movies

Download & Installation

BCDI is available from:

• the Python Package Index: python -m pip install bcdi
• or on GitHub, where you will find the latest version:

Add the flag --upgrade to the commands above in order to update an existing installation.

Note that there are issues with installing scikit-image within an Anaconda environment. In such situation, the workaround is to create instead a virtual environment using pip.

Please send feedback in GitHub issues.

Documentation

The documentation is available at: https://bcdi.readthedocs.io/en/latest/

Video Documentation

All talks from the bcdiHackweek 2021 are available at the following links:

• Carnis, J. - BCDI package overview: https://youtu.be/g4jkzmz8JGk
• Li, N. - data preprocessing: https://youtu.be/D-fl19Mi7Ao
• Carnis, J. - data preprocessing interactive: https://youtu.be/ddipN43HR1w
• Dupraz, M. - data postprocessing + viz: https://youtu.be/WyDzOkJJu8c
• Carnis, J. - all that is left in the BCDI package: https://youtu.be/egh8X6iI4Nw
• Richard, M.-I. - paraview Facet analyser: https://youtu.be/RarHeUIOu08
• Carnis, J. - bcdi Facet analyser: https://youtu.be/gucQk8p3vyk
• Simonne, D. - jupyter GUI for bcdi package: https://youtu.be/9SDcGfJqiVw

Related package Cohere:

• Harder, R. - Cohere package overview https://youtu.be/I1YOZoxddlE

License

The BCDI library is distributed with a CeCILL-B license (an open-source license similar to the FreeBSD one). See http://cecill.info/licences/Licence_CeCILL-B_V1-en.html

Citation & Bibliography

If you use this package for scientific work, please consider including a citation using the following DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3257616

This package contributed to the following peer-reviewed publications:

• Y. Y. Kim, et al. Single Alloy Nanoparticle X-Ray Imaging during a Catalytic Reaction. Science Advances 7 (2021). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abh0757
• J. Carnis, et al. Facet-dependent strain determination in electrochemically synthetized platinum model catalytic nanoparticles. Small 2007702 (2021). DOI: 10.1002/smll.202007702 Data available at CXIDB ID182: https://www.cxidb.org/id-182.html
• J. Carnis, et al. Twinning/detwinning in an individual platinum nanocrystal during catalytic CO oxidation. Nature Communications 12 (1), 1-10 (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25625-0
• J. Carnis, et al. Structural Study of a Self-Assembled Gold Mesocrystal Grain by Coherent X-ray Diffraction Imaging. Nanoscale 13, 10425-10435 (2021). DOI: 10.1039/D1NR01806J Data available at CXIDB ID183: https://www.cxidb.org/id-183.html
• N. Li, et al. Mapping Inversion Domain Boundaries Along Single GaN Wires with Bragg Coherent X-ray Imaging. ACS Nano 14, 10305–10312 (2020). DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c03775
• N. Li, et al. Continu-ous scanning for Bragg coherent X ray imaging. Sci. Rep. 10, 12760 (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69678-5
• J. Carnis, et al. Towards a quantitative determination of strain in Bragg Coherent X-ray Diffraction Imaging: artefacts and sign convention in reconstructions. Scientific reports 9, 17357 (2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53774-2
• W. Hua, et al. Structural insights into the formation and voltage degradation of lithium- and manganese-rich layered oxides. Nat Commun 10, 5365 (2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13240-z
• G. Niu, et al. Advanced coherent X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy of individual InP nanocrystals on Si nanotips for III-V on Si electronics and optoelectronics. Phys. Rev. Applied 11, 064046 (2019). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevApplied.11.064046
• S. Fernández, et al. In situ structural evolution of single particle model catalysts under ambient pressure reaction conditions. Nanoscale 11, 331-338 (2019). DOI: 10.1039/c8nr08414a