A Strategy for Retrospectively Mapping the Growth History of a Crystal

Like the rings of a tree: A novel strategy is presented that yields insights on crystal growth processes from retrospective analysis of crystals recovered at the end of the process. The strategy is based on systems in which the composition of the growing crystal surfaces varies during crystal growth, while the crystal structure remains constant. The compositional distribution in the crystal is monitored using confocal Raman microspectrometry (see picture).