Femtosecond X-rays illuminate disordered states during the early stages of crystallization

Crystallization is a fundamental non-equilibrium process in materials science, yet its early transient states remain difficult to probe experimentally. Möller et al. [(2025). IUCrJ 12, 462-471] use femtosecond X-ray scattering and X-ray cross-correlation analysis to reveal the structural evolution of defect-containing crystals forming in a supercooled noble-gas liquid.