Pseudo-merohedrally twinned manganite microcrystals have been studied by coherent diffraction. Several diffraction peaks were split, as expected from the twin law. Furthermore, the peaks were broken up into fringes and speckles. This method represents a new way of measuring twin domains and could allow mapping out twin and strain distributions within microcrystals.

The possibilities offered by three coherent X-ray diffraction experimental setups applied to micropillar compression are discussed here. The yield stress was precisely determined with a collimated beam. Methods to deconvolve the signal coming from the pillar from that coming from the pedestal and to estimate in situ the curvature radius of the micropillar are also proposed here.