SLAC topics

X-ray scattering and diffraction RSS feed

X-ray scattering and diffraction are techniques used to study the atomic and molecular structure of materials. X-rays are directed at a sample, and the resulting scattering patterns provide information about the arrangement and movement of atoms in the sample. X-ray diffraction specifically analyzes the interference patterns that result from X-rays interacting with repeating structures in a material, enabling scientists to determine the precise arrangement of atoms and gain insights into the material's properties.

Illustration of LCLS diffraction protein crystals.
News Release

Extraordinarily precise measurements -- within millionths of a billionth of a second and a billionth of a hair's breadth -- show this ‘electron-phonon coupling’...

Illustration of a laser beam triggering atomic vibrations in iron selenide
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The study at SLAC’s X-ray laser was a step toward understanding how DNA defends itself from breakage and potential mutations.

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A research collaboration designed a new assembly-line system that rapidly replaces exposed samples and allows the team to study reactions in real-time.

News Release

Scientists used SLAC's LCLS X-ray laser to make the first snapshots of a chemical interaction between two biomolecules. It changes the shape of millions...

Illustration depicting a chemical interaction as synchronized swimmers.
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The team determined the 3-D structure of a biomolecule by tagging it with selenium atoms and taking hundreds of thousands of images.

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Understanding how a material’s electrons interact with vibrations of its nuclear lattice could help design and control novel materials, from solar cells to high-temperature...

News Release

High-speed X-ray camera reveals ultrafast atomic motions at the root of organisms’ ability to turn light into biological function.

a protein from photosynthetic bacteria
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Computer simulations and lab experiments help researchers understand the violent universe and could potentially lead to new technologies that benefit humankind.

Researchers use X-rays to study some of the most extreme and exotic forms of matter ever created, in detail never before possible.
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Contributions to LIGO have come from many Stanford teams, including SLAC, Applied Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Aeronautics and Astronautics and the School of Earth, Energy...

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This surprising finding has potentially broad implications, from X-ray imaging of single particles to fusion research.

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A physicist at Argonne National Laboratory has been recognized for pioneering experiments at SLAC that helped establish a new way to study the structure...

Image - Paul Fuoss (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)
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This animation explains how researchers use high-energy electrons at SLAC to study faster-than-ever motions of atoms and molecules relevant to important material properties and...

video stillframe of ultrafast electron diffraction
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