X-ray techniques comprise a range of experimental methods that exploit the interaction of X-ray photons with matter to probe structural, electronic, and compositional properties across length scales from atomic to macroscopic. Major classes include X-ray diffraction (single-crystal, powder, and small- or wide-angle scattering) for determining crystallographic and nanoscale structure; X-ray spectroscopy (XANES, EXAFS, XPS) for probing oxidation states, local coordination, and electronic structure; and X-ray imaging and tomography for spatially resolved density and phase-contrast mapping. These techniques rely on well-characterized X-ray sources, monochromators, detectors, and often synchrotron or free-electron laser facilities to achieve high brilliance, energy tunability, temporal resolution, and quantitative analysis.
Attosecond science, honored with the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics, is transforming our understanding of how electrons move in atoms, molecules, and solids. An attosecond—equivalent to a billionth of a billionth of a second—enables ...
Optics & Photonics
Jan 21, 2025
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A dry material makes a great fire starter, and a soft material lends itself to a sweater. Batteries require materials that can store lots of energy, and microchips need components that can turn the flow of electricity on ...
Condensed Matter
Jan 17, 2025
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X-rays are radiated by matter hotter than one million Kelvin, and high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy can tell us about the composition of the matter and how fast and in what direction it is moving. Quantum calorimeters are ...
Quantum Physics
Dec 17, 2024
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Researchers have pioneered a new technique at the Swiss Light Source SLS called X-ray linear dichroic orientation tomography, which probes the orientation of a material's building blocks at the nanoscale in three-dimensions.
Nanomaterials
Dec 11, 2024
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When laser energy is deposited in a target material, numerous complex processes take place at length and time scales that are too small to visually observe. To study and ultimately fine-tune such processes, researchers look ...
Condensed Matter
Nov 25, 2024
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A research team at European XFEL and DESY has achieved a major advance in X-ray science by generating unprecedented high-power attosecond hard X-ray pulses at megahertz repetition rates. This advancement opens new frontiers ...
Optics & Photonics
Nov 25, 2024
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X-ray free-electron lasers produce pulses of light that are exceptionally bright, making them powerful tools for studying ultrafast chemical reactions, biological processes, or probing the structure of materials at atomic ...
Optics & Photonics
Nov 18, 2024
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A difficult-to-describe nanoscale object called the magnetic skyrmion might one day yield new microelectronic devices that can do much more—for example, massive data storage—all while consuming much less power.
Condensed Matter
Oct 22, 2024
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Scintillators are detectors that make high-energy X-rays or particles visible through flashes of light to form an image. Their many applications include particle physics, medical imaging, X-ray security and more.
Nanophysics
Oct 11, 2024
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In June, X-rays began to shine again at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Advanced Photon Source (APS), a facility where intense, directed X-ray light beams are used to inspect everything from materials for better solar ...
Optics & Photonics
Oct 2, 2024
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