Topic: Materials science | SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

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Two of the most urgent challenges of our time – clean energy and sustainability – require investigation at the atomic level.

Aerial image of workers installing solar panels on a home.

News Feature

A machine learning algorithm automatically extracts information to speed up – and extend – the study of materials with X-ray pulse pairs.

A pattern of red and yellow dots surrounded by a ring of blue dots on a black background.

News Feature

For decades, materials scientists have focused on materials that are relatively balanced and unchanging – but not Yijing Huang, a postdoctoral scholar at the...

News Feature

Encapsulating precious-metal catalysts in a web-like alumina framework could reduce the amount needed in catalytic converters – and our dependency on these scarce metals.

A web of red material encapsulates blue polyhedrons.

Illustration

Studies of atomic-level processes that drain battery life and efficiency help improve battery performance.

Illustration

Perovskites’ unusual response to light could explain the high efficiency of these next-generation solar cell materials.

Illustration

Scientists use a series of magnets to transform an electron bunch into a narrow current spike which then produces a very intense attosecond X-ray...

Illustration

The ultrafast, ultrabright X-ray pulses of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) have enabled unprecedented views of a catalyst in action, an important step...

Illustration

The ultra-bright X-ray laser pulses of the Linac Coherent Light Source at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory can be used to strip electrons away from...

Press Release

A new study has found that “diamond rain,” a long-hypothesized exotic type of precipitation on ice giant planets, could be more common than previously...

News Feature

Spiraling laser light reveals how topological insulators lose their ability to conduct electric current on their surfaces.

: Against a black background, thin, glowing red wires at top impinge on the hexagonal surface of a translucent mass. Small white dots travel along the edges of the surface in two directions. Within the mass, two orange cones meet at their tips.

News Feature

Waves of magnetic excitation sweep through this exciting new material whether it’s in superconducting mode or not – another possible clue to how unconventional...

A brightly colored top is seen spinning between two layers of gray, purple and red spheres representing atoms in a nickel oxide superconductor.

Two of the most urgent challenges of our time – clean energy and sustainability – require investigation at the atomic level.

A machine learning algorithm automatically extracts information to speed up – and extend – the study of materials with X-ray pulse pairs.

For decades, materials scientists have focused on materials that are relatively balanced and unchanging – but not Yijing Huang, a postdoctoral scholar at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. With the aid of SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source...

Encapsulating precious-metal catalysts in a web-like alumina framework could reduce the amount needed in catalytic converters – and our dependency on these scarce metals.

Studies of atomic-level processes that drain battery life and efficiency help improve battery performance.

Perovskites’ unusual response to light could explain the high efficiency of these next-generation solar cell materials.

Scientists use a series of magnets to transform an electron bunch into a narrow current spike which then produces a very intense attosecond X-ray flash.

The ultrafast, ultrabright X-ray pulses of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) have enabled unprecedented views of a catalyst in action, an important step in the effort to develop cleaner and more efficient energy sources.

The ultra-bright X-ray laser pulses of the Linac Coherent Light Source at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory can be used to strip electrons away from atoms, creating ions with strong charges. The ability to interact with atoms is critical for making...

A new study has found that “diamond rain,” a long-hypothesized exotic type of precipitation on ice giant planets, could be more common than previously thought. In an earlier experiment, researchers mimicked the extreme temperatures and pressures found deep inside ice...

Spiraling laser light reveals how topological insulators lose their ability to conduct electric current on their surfaces.

Waves of magnetic excitation sweep through this exciting new material whether it’s in superconducting mode or not – another possible clue to how unconventional superconductors carry electric current with no loss.

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SSRL 50th anniversary celebration

Materials science

Energy and sustainability

Artificial intelligence deciphers detector "clouds" to accelerate materials research

Yijing Huang wins 2022 LCLS Young Investigator Award for work on controlling unique structures of semiconductors

Molecular cage protects precious metals in catalytic converters

Battery life and efficiency

Perovskites

XLEAP illustration

Chemical reaction

“Supercharging” atoms with X-ray laser

‘Diamond rain’ on giant icy planets could be more common than previously thought

Exploring quantum electron highways with laser light

Study finds nickelate superconductors are intrinsically magnetic

Energy and sustainability

Artificial intelligence deciphers detector "clouds" to accelerate materials research

Yijing Huang wins 2022 LCLS Young Investigator Award for work on controlling unique structures of semiconductors

Molecular cage protects precious metals in catalytic converters

Battery life and efficiency

Perovskites

XLEAP illustration

Chemical reaction

“Supercharging” atoms with X-ray laser

‘Diamond rain’ on giant icy planets could be more common than previously thought

Exploring quantum electron highways with laser light

Study finds nickelate superconductors are intrinsically magnetic