Materials Science

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October 31, 2018
News Feature
Scientists make first detailed measurements of key factors related to high-temperature superconductivity
Two studies led by SLAC and Stanford capture electron 'sound waves' and identify a positive feedback loop that may boost superconducting temperatures.
Illustration of study that reveals how coordinated motions of atoms boost superconductivity
October 19, 2018
News Feature
Researchers switch material from one state to another with a single flash of light
Switches like this one, discovered with SLAC’s ultrafast ‘electron camera’, could offer a new, simple path to storing data in next-generation devices.
Single Pulse Material Switch
September 17, 2018
Press Release
X-rays uncover a hidden property that leads to failure in a lithium-ion battery material
Experiments at SLAC and Berkeley Lab uproot long-held assumptions and will inform future battery design.
Lithium ion infographic
August 27, 2018
News Feature
Q&A: Shining X-ray light on perovskites for better solar cells
Four scientists discuss X-ray experiments at SLAC’s synchrotron that reveal new insights into how a promising solar cell material forms.
Photo: Aryeh Gold-Parker, Chris Tassone, Kevin Stone and Mike Toney
August 2, 2018
News Feature
In a first, scientists precisely measure how synthetic diamonds grow
A SLAC-Stanford study reveals exactly what it takes for diamond to crystallize around a “seed” cluster of atoms. The results apply to industrial processes and to what happens in clouds overhead.
Illustration of diamondoid and diamond crystals
July 30, 2018
News Feature
Ming Yi wins Spicer Award for superconductor research at SLAC’s X-ray synchrotron
Former Stanford and UC-Berkeley physicist is honored for foundational research that peers into unconventional phenomena within exotic materials.
Photo: Ming Yi
July 25, 2018
News Feature
Department of Energy Announces $30 Million for “Ultrafast” Science
Tony Heinz and Z-X Shen will receive funding for research focused on catalysis and novel states of matter.
July 2, 2018
News Feature
X-Ray Experiment Confirms Theoretical Model for Making New Materials
By observing changes in materials as they’re being synthesized, scientists hope to learn how they form and come up with recipes for making the materials they need for next-gen energy technologies.
Polymorph formation
June 28, 2018
Press Release
Atomic Movie of Melting Gold Could Help Design Materials for Future Fusion Reactors
SLAC’s high-speed ‘electron camera’ shows for the first time the coexistence of solid and liquid in laser-heated gold, providing new clues for designing materials that can withstand extreme conditions.
UED Gold Melting
June 21, 2018
News Feature
Four SLAC Scientists Awarded Prestigious DOE Early Career Research Grants
Tais Gorkhover, Michael Kagan, Kazuhiro Terao and Joshua Turner will each receive $2.5 million for research that studies fundamental particles, nanoscale objects, quantum materials and machine learning.
Photos of SLAC's 2018 Early Career Award winners

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