Ultrafast electron diffraction (UED)

With a new method that could be extended to study Earth’s core and nuclear fusion, they identify and explain jumps in the electrical conductivity of aluminum under extreme conditions. 

The SLAC team is developing digital twins – powered by AI and high-performance computing – to help quickly shape high-quality particle beams for the lab’s X-ray and ultrafast facilities.

Ultrafast electrons at SLAC’s LCLS facility resolved the structural changes in a light-activated molecule to determine which simulations work best. 

In this Q&A, Arianna Gleason discusses the technologies needed to make commercialized fusion energy a reality and how SLAC is advancing this energy frontier. 

Researchers across the lab are developing AI tools to harness data and particle beams in real time and make molecular movies, speeding up the discovery process in the era of big data.

A study reveals an ultrathin material’s ability to circularly polarize light, potentially informing how they work in optoelectronic devices.

Improvements to the lab’s “electron camera” use AI and “time stamping” to help reveal nature’s speedy processes more accurately. 

Researchers have uncovered new insights about tungsten's ability to conduct heat, which could lead to materials advancements for fusion reactor and aerospace technologies.

The results  could lead to a better understanding of reactions with vital roles in chemistry and biology. 

The results should further our understanding of similar reactions with vital roles in chemistry, such as the production of vitamin D in our bodies.

A laser compressing an aluminum crystal provides a clearer view of a material’s plastic deformation, potentially leading to the design of stronger nuclear fusion materials and spacecraft shields.

The results could lead to a better understanding of reactions with vital roles in chemistry and biology.