SLAC topics

Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) RSS feed

SSRL is a pioneering synchrotron radiation facility known for outstanding science, technological innovation and user support. It provides extremely bright X-rays that scientists use for a wide range of research that probes matter on the scales of atoms and molecules.

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Aerial view of Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL)

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Drawing on SLAC facilities, Australian researchers have revealed how Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria obtain manganese from our bodies, which could lead to better therapies to...

A protein molecule with intertwined spirals around a small yellow center form.
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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...

A drone flying on Mars
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Their work aims to bridge two approaches to driving the reaction – one powered by heat, the other by electricity – with the goal...

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.
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Belopolski has made key discoveries about Weyl semimetals and topological magnets, systems in which quantum effects produce new emergent particles with exotic electronic and...

Portrait of Ilya Belopolski
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Teaching machine learning the basics of accelerator physics is particularly useful in situations where actual data don’t exist.

SSRL
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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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Petroglyphs are carved in a material called rock varnish, the origins of which have been debated for years. Now, scientists argue it’s the result...

Rock art featuring human and animal forms and handprints
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Measuring the process in unprecedented detail gives them clues to how to minimize the problem and protect battery performance.

Illustration of oxygen atoms leaving a lithium-ion battery as lithium flows in alongside a battery whose energy is being sapped by this process
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Known as “pair-density waves,” it may be key to understanding how superconductivity can exist at relatively high temperatures.

Illustration depicting how two types of waves within superconducting materials intertwine to form a third type known as charge-density waves
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Two groups of researchers drew on SLAC tools to better understand how to target a key part of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Illustration of SARS-CoV-2, a round ball with spikes.
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SSRL and LCLS scientists will help visiting research teams solve their experimental challenges, then apply what they’ve learned to help others work more efficiently.

Diagram of a complex molecule
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G6PD deficiency affects about 400M people worldwide and can pose serious health risks. Uncovering the causes of the most severe cases could finally lead...

G6PD enzyme in red blood cell