X-ray Scattering/Diffraction

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October 13, 2021
News Feature
Why skyrmions could have a lot in common with glass and high-temperature superconductors
Spawned by the spins of electrons in magnetic materials, these tiny whirlpools behave like independent particles and could be the future of computing. Experiments with SLAC’s X-ray laser are revealing their secrets.
Illustration of skyrmions -- little whirlpools of magnetism formed by the spins of atoms.
October 13, 2021
News Brief
SSRL and LCLS Host 2021 Users’ Meeting
Scientists who perform experiments at SLAC’s lightsources gathered online for research talks, workshops and discussions.
Aerial view of industrial-looking research buildings
September 15, 2021
News Feature
A simple way to get complex semiconductors to assemble themselves
Much like crystallizing rock candy from sugar syrup, the new method grows 2D perovskites precisely layered with other 2D materials to produce crystals with a wide range of electronic properties.
Illustration of layers of 2D materials assembling themselves from chemicals tumbling in water
September 9, 2021
News Feature
After 20 years of trying, scientists succeed in doping a 1D chain of cuprates
The chemically controlled chains reveal an ultrastrong attraction between electrons that may help cuprate superconductors carry electrical current with no loss at relatively high temperatures.
An illustration showing a 1D chain of carbon and oxygen molecules with red springs representing natural vibrations in their atomic lattice.
September 8, 2021
News Feature
Stanford graduate student Aisulu Aitbekova wins 2021 Melvin P. Klein Award
The award recognizes Aitbekova's work on catalysts, including a new catalyst that may revolutionize car emission controls.
A portrait of a woman wearing a tan shirt.
September 7, 2021
News Feature
Soap study shows the value of global connections during the pandemic
Researchers at the University of Leeds deepened their understanding of a synthetic detergent without ever setting foot in the lab where their experiments took place.
An X-ray beam line guide points toward a gold-colored piece of laboratory equipment.
August 31, 2021
News Feature
A new approach creates an exceptional single-atom catalyst for water splitting
Anchoring individual iridium atoms on the surface of a catalytic particle boosted its performance in carrying out a reaction that’s been a bottleneck for sustainable energy production.
Alt text: Illustration showing surface of a catalyst as a lattice work of atoms, with single iridium molecules held above it on tiny 8-sided structures to facilitate splitting of water molecules seen floating above
August 26, 2021
News Brief
How extreme cold can crack lithium-ion battery materials, degrading performance
Storing the rechargeable batteries at sub-freezing temperatures can crack the battery cathode and separate it from other parts of the battery, a new study shows.
A drone flying on Mars
August 4, 2021
News Feature
Scientists show a single catalyst can perform the first step of turning CO2 into fuel in two very different ways
Their work aims to bridge two approaches to driving the reaction – one powered by heat, the other by electricity – with the goal of discovering more efficient and sustainable ways to convert carbon dioxide into useful products.
A ball-and-stick illustration of a single nickel atom (green) bonded to nitrogen atoms (blue) on the surface of a carbon material. The arrangement allows the nickel atoms to catalyze two types of reactions involved in making fuel from CO2.
July 8, 2021
News Feature
A detailed study of nickelate’s magnetism finds a strong kinship with cuprate superconductors
Nickelate materials give scientists an exciting new window into how unconventional superconductors carry electric current with no loss at relatively high temperatures.
Illustration showing nickelate and cuprate superconductors as cartoon characters that are either close friends holding hands or neighbors talking over a fence.

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