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Materials science RSS feed

 SLAC develops materials to improve the performance of batteries, fuel cells and other energy technologies and set the stage for technologies of the future.

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In materials hit with light, individual atoms and vibrations take disorderly paths.
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Battery research

The new SLAC-Stanford Battery Center aims to bridge the gaps between discovering, manufacturing and deploying innovative energy storage solutions. 

April 11, 2023
Illustration showing a battery researcher at left, a battery at center and a grid of battery applications at right.
news collection

Energy and sustainability

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.
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Artificial intelligence deciphers detector "clouds" to accelerate materials research

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

November 7, 2022  ·  3 min read
A pattern of red and yellow dots surrounded by a ring of blue dots on a black background.
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Yijing Huang wins 2022 LCLS Young Investigator Award for work on controlling unique structures of semiconductors

The award celebrates Huang’s achievements studying atom-scale physics with fast X-ray pulses.

October 31, 2022  ·  2 min read
Yijing Huang at Stanford University
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Molecular cage protects precious metals in catalytic converters

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.

October 24, 2022  ·  4 min read
A web of red material encapsulates blue polyhedrons.
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Battery life and efficiency

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

October 11, 2022
Studies of atomic-level processes that drain battery life and efficiency help improve battery performance.
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Perovskites

Perovskites’ unusual response to light could explain the high efficiency of these next-generation solar cell materials.
October 11, 2022
Perovskites’ unusual response to light could explain the high efficiency of these next-generation solar cell materials.
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XLEAP 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...

September 27, 2022
XLEAP illustration
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Chemical reaction

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...

September 23, 2022
Nilsson science cover
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“Supercharging” atoms with X-ray laser

Ultra-bright X-ray laser pulses can be used to strip electrons away from atoms, creating ions with strong charges.

September 21, 2022
Illustration of X-ray laser pulses stripping electrons away from atoms
News Release

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

Studying a material that even more closely resembles the composition of ice giants, researchers found that oxygen boosts the formation of diamond rain.

September 2, 2022  ·  6 min read
Diamond rain formation
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Exploring quantum electron highways with laser light

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

August 18, 2022  ·  5 min read
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.