The difference in the lattice constant of a substrate compared to a thin film deposited on top of it or a matrix compared to a nanocolumn embedded in it induces a lattice distortion—i.e., strain—in the nanostructure as compared to the bulk. The strong coupling of electronic properties with structural parameters in transition-metal oxides then allows tuning and ultimately controlling the physical characteristics of nanoarchitectures through strain. A research team from the UK and Berkeley has now demonstrated that soft x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) techniques are uniquely suited to provide detailed information about the impact of strain on the electronic properties of magnetic oxide nanoarchitectures. Read more…
Despite strong progress in EUV lithography over the past decade, significant challenges remain, including defect-free mask fabrication and the development of an ultrahigh-resolution photoresist that simultaneously supports low line-edge roughness, high sensitivity, and sub-22-nm resolution. Using the SEMATECH Berkeley Microfield Exposure Tool (MET) at ALS Beamline 12.0.1.3, high-quality 16-nm lines and spaces have been printed—the highest resolution ever achieved from a single-exposure projection optical lithography tool. Read more…
Nature recently released its 2010 Global Top 50 publishing index, which ranks the institutions with the most papers published. Harvard ranks first, with Stanford at four and MIT at five. Berkeley Lab is the only national lab on the list, coming in at number 39. Go here to view the full list of institutions, and here to see a list of all Berkeley Lab’s papers published by Nature in 2010.
Send Us Your Science!
ALSNews has a readership of over 5,000, including members of the synchrotron community, funding agencies, scientists in other disciplines, and a wide array of general audience readers. Each month we publicize research done by ALS users through Science Highlights, Science Briefs, News, Journal Covers, and Science Cafés.
Help us to help you highlight your ALS research by contacting us as soon as a paper has been accepted for publication so that we can include it in our Science Highlight and Science Brief selection process and alert Berkeley Lab’s Public Affairs Office if a press release is warranted. We are especially interested in journal publications that report important new research as well as research of interest to a general audience. Science Highlights and Science Briefs not only appear in ALSNews, but also online, on posters, in slides sent to the Department of Energy, and in ALS print publications.
If you would like your work to be highlighted, send an email containing the publication citation and a brief description of the work to ALS Communications. Or, you can submit your Science Brief suggestion directly. Beamline scientists can also submit recommendations for highlights via an online form they received.
The BES Review Committee Comes to the ALS
The DOE Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, held its triennial ALS program review on March 16-18. Sessions began with Lab Director Paul Alivisatos welcoming the review committee to the new ALS User Support Building. ALS users, beamline scientists, and staff presented information throughout the review about the facility’s business practices, ongoing and planned renewal efforts, and outstanding scientific research. Though a formal report is still pending, initial comments from the reviewers were enthusiastic.
BES reviewers and ALS scientists take the opportunity to discuss recent research during the poster session.
ALS scientists and users presented highlights of their innovative scientific research to the review panel. On Wednesday, March 16, speakers included Franz Himpsel of the University of Wisconsin, speaking about “Using Synchrotron Radiation to Shed Light on Solar Cells;” Stefan Wurm of SEMATECH, who gave an overview of SEMATECH’s research partnership with Berkeley Lab and with CXRO in particular, working to “Enable Materials for Nanoscale Manufacturing;” Jeff Abramson of UCLA, summarizing the ALS Structural Biology program; and Eli Rotenberg of the ALS, who presented his research on “Quasiparticles and Composite Particles Observed in Graphene by Angle Resolved Photoemission.” Reviewers met with the Users’ Executive Committee at lunch, joined breakout sessions, and attended a poster session featuring over 50 posters in the evening.
On Thursday, March 17, Zahid Hasan of Princeton University presented his research on the “Experimental Discovery of Topological-Order in Bulk Solids,” and Rachel Segalman of UC Berkeley spoke about “Using X-Ray Analysis in the development of Nanostructure Organic Photovoltaics.” Science highlights presented by beamline scientists include “Correlating Magnetic Anisotropy and Electronic Structure in Complex Oxides Thin Films” (Elke Arenholz), “Reactions at Solid/Vapor Interfaces Studied by Ambient Pressure Photoemission Spectroscopy” (Hendrick Bluhm), “Polymer Research Using Hard and Soft X-Ray Scattering” (Alexander Hexemer), and “Small Molecule Crystallography on 11.3.1 and Beyond” (Simon Teat). Other presentations were given by ALS staff, including Jim Floyd, Peter Denes, David Robin, Zahid Hussain, Howard Padmore, and Roger Falcone. The evening concluded with more breakout sessions and visits to the beamlines to talk with beamline scientists.
UEC Corner
Suggestions Needed for the Upcoming Users’ Meeting
I want to thank all the users who contributed to presentations, experimental tours on the ALS floor, and to the review document for DOE’s triennial review of the ALS. Your efforts on the review, together with the extensive work of ALS management, are critical in our effort to keep the ALS at the forefront of synchrotron-enabled science.
The UEC is beginning planning for the 2011 ALS Users’ Meeting (save the date: October 3-5, 2011), and we welcome your suggestions. If you have ideas for speakers or workshop topics, please contact me or another member of the UEC.
All users are welcome to contact their UEC representatives to raise issues of concern relating to their own research, or to alert us to issues facing our whole community.
For the user runs from February 9 to March 6, the beam reliability [(time scheduled – time lost)/time scheduled)] was 98.1%. For this period, the mean time between failures (MTBF) was 34.8 hours, and the mean time to recovery (MTTR) was 47 minutes. There were no significant interruptions.
More detailed information on reliability is available on the ALS reliability bulletin board, which is located in the hallway between the ALS and the control room in Building 80. Questions about beam reliability should be directed to Dave Richardson (DBRichardson@lbl.gov, x4376).
Control Systems Group Ever wonder how the control systems run the ALS? Or who runs the control systems? Control Systems Group Leader Alan Biocca breaks it down. Read the Article
to view the full list of institutions, and 
