Department of structure analysis is dealing with crystallography and study of structure of materials by X-ray scattering. X-ray laboboratories are equipped by modern diffractometers allowing analysis of a wide range of materials. We can study different types of thin films, nanocrystalline materials, bulk and powder materials also at low and high temperatures, high pressures, also in some non-standard atmospheres. Research is focussed mainly to modern materials with wide application potential, i.e. prospective as materials or parts of products, with high added value. Members of the group developed some methods that can determine phase composition of material, its crystal structure, and also the so-called real structure. This is related to deviations from ideal 3D periodicity, i.e. structural defects, microstrain, crystallite size, residual stresses and textures. We are also interested in correlations of these parameters with physical and chemical properties. In addition to several diffractometers with a number of optila elements, we have also and instrument for small-angle scattering (SAXS), that can give characterization of objects on larger scale (than atomistic), as particles, pores, their sizes, shapes and distribution, ...).

We are using not only instruments in our labs but we perform experiments also in external laboratories including large facilities abroad (synchrotron and neutron sources). In addition to long-term collaboration with other groups of the Faculty, namely in Department of Physics of Materials, Department of Macromolecular Physics, Department of Physics of Surfaces and Plasma Physics and Department of Low Temperatures Physics we are collaborating with a number of top research groups in Europe and all over the World.

Researchers of the group has also been interested for a long time in theory of X-ray diffraction on single crystalline and mosaic thin films and multilayers. In last years, the team has also been intensively involved in X-ray scattering on ultrafine-grained and nanocrystalline materials.

The group has a long tradition going back to the beginning of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics. X-ray lab was equipped only with a simple X-ray sources produced in Czechoslovakia with a film registration. Anyway, this allowed many intersting experiments and stuyd of structure and microstructure of various important materials.