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COSMIC Scattering Team Receives 2024 Klaus Halbach Instrumentation Award

The 2024 Klaus Halbach Award for Innovative Instrumentation at the ALS was presented at the annual User Meeting to the COSMIC Scattering Team “for the development of x-ray imaging and x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy instrumentation for investigating the spatiotemporal dynamics of functional magnetic and quantum materials at ALS Beamline 7.0.1.1.” Read more »

Mel Sibony Receives 2024 Tim Renner User Services Award

In celebration of his work, the ALS Users’ Executive Committee presented Mel Sibony with the 2024 Tim Renner User Services Award “for outstanding support of the ALS user community through the development and maintenance of the 4D software system and database and computer hardware at the ALS.”
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2024 User Meeting Highlights

Another successful ALS User Meeting was held August 12–14, bringing the ALS user community together under the sunny summer skies of Berkeley, California. Over 300 participants enjoyed an engaging program organized by the Users’ Executive Committee (UEC), led by User Meeting organizers Wendy Gu, Devin Grabner, Monsuru Ramoni, and Shan Wu. Read more »

A Promising Compound for Reversible Male Contraception

Researchers found that a small-molecule protein inhibitor—screened from billions of compounds and analyzed using structural insights from protein crystallography—reversibly suppresses male fertility in mice. The work addresses the pressing need for more contraceptive options that enable all individuals to control their own fertility. Read more »PPT-icon-35

A New Way to “Squeeze” Infrared Light Down to Size

Researchers demonstrated a new way to confine, or “squeeze,” infrared light by coupling photons with phonons (lattice vibrations) within a certain type of thin film. The work heralds a new class of optical materials for controlling infrared light, with potential applications in photonics, sensors, and microelectronic heat management. Read more »PPT-icon-35

Postdoctoral Fellowship Application Window to Open in October

Applications for the next round of ALS Collaborative Postdoctoral Fellowships are due November 1 for a start date of May 1, 2025. Fellows spend a year in residence at the ALS pursuing research projects in teams that include staff and the user community, and are exposed to current scientific challenges that can be tackled using advanced synchrotron radiation tools. Read more »

Mechanism of an Economical Way to Produce Al–Ce Alloy

A time-resolved diffraction study conducted at the ALS revealed mechanistic insight into a multi-step chemical reaction for the economical production of aluminum–cerium alloy, a high-performance material with superior temperature stability. The results provide crucial information for the application of the method on an industrial scale. Read more »

Reports from 2023 Science Visioning Workshops Published

The compiled reports from four ALS science visioning workshops held in 2023 are now published. The document reflects the user and broader scientific communities’ viewpoints on how the ALS’s science portfolio should evolve into the 2030s and where investments will be needed to realize the vision. Read more »

September 4 Deadline for General User Proposals—New Proposal Writing Guidelines!

Starting August 14, the User Office will accept new General User Proposals (GUPs) from scientists who wish to conduct research at the ALS in the 2025-1 (January–July) cycle. The deadline for submissions is September 4, 2024. We will publish new proposal writing guidelines by August 14, so please read the new guidelines before submitting a proposal. Applicants are reminded that they may request joint access to the Molecular Foundry, a nanoscience user facility at Berkeley Lab, to support their ALS activities. Read more »