Materials Science
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In brief: Record-shattering underwater sound
Researchers produced an underwater sound with an intensity that eclipses that of a rocket launch while investigating what happens when they blast tiny jets of water with X-ray laser pulses.
In brief: Probing battery hotspots for safer energy storage
A laser technique lets researchers see how potentially dangerous growths form in batteries.
10 ways SLAC’s X-ray laser has transformed science
In the decade since LCLS produced its first light, it has pushed boundaries in countless areas of discovery.
A new lens on materials under extreme conditions allows researchers to watch shock waves travel through silicon
Researchers used a unique approach to learn more about what happens to silicon under intense pressure.
A new way to watch atoms move in a single atomic sheet
X-ray laser snapshots give scientists a new tool for probing trillionths-of-a-second atomic motions in 2-D materials
Q-FARM initiative to bolster quantum research at Stanford-SLAC
The newly launched Quantum Fundamentals, ARchitecture and Machines initiative will build upon existing strengths in theoretical and experimental quantum science and engineering at Stanford and SLAC.
First direct view of an electron’s short, speedy trip across a border
Watching electrons sprint between atomically thin layers of material will shed light on the fundamental workings of semiconductors, solar cells and other key technologies.
SLAC/Stanford team discovers new way of switching exotic properties on and off in topological material
Ultrafast manipulation of material properties with light could stimulate the development of novel electronics, including quantum computers.
Dancing atoms in perovskite materials provide insight into how solar cells work
A new study is a step forward in understanding why perovskite materials work so well in energy devices and potentially leads the way toward a theorized “hot” technology that would significantly improve the efficiency of today’s solar cells.
In materials hit with light, individual atoms and vibrations take disorderly paths
Revealed for the first time by a new X-ray laser technique, their surprisingly unruly response has profound implications for designing and controlling materials.
