Researchers showed that machine learning can predict noisy fluctuations in the size of beams generated by synchrotron light sources and correct them before they occur. The work solves a decades-old problem and will allow researchers to fully exploit the smaller beams made possible by recent advances in light source technology. Read more »
Machine Learning Enhances Light-Beam Performance at the Advanced Light Source
Researchers have successfully demonstrated how machine-learning tools can improve beam-size stability via adjustments that largely cancel out these fluctuations—reducing them from a level of a few percent down to 0.4 percent, with submicron precision. The demonstration shows that the technique could be viable for scientific light sources around the globe. Read more »
Infrared Nanospectroscopy at Graphene–Liquid Interfaces
Researchers developed a new infrared approach to probing the first few molecular layers of a liquid in contact with a graphene electrode under operating conditions. The work offers a new way to study the interfaces that are key to understanding batteries, corrosion, and other bio- and electrochemical phenomena. Read more »
Mirror, Mirror, in the Optimal Spot
Researchers have developed a fast, systematic way to get the best performance out of x-ray mirrors by optimizing their positioning in beamlines. The system does in a day what used to take many days, by combining precise surface metrology with computer analysis of the optimal alignment of a mirror in a beamline. Read more »
A New Twist in Soft X-Ray Beams
Visible-light beams with orbital angular momentum (OAM) have been used in applications ranging from communications and imaging to particle manipulation. Now, researchers have generated high-quality OAM beams in the soft x-ray regime, with intriguing possibilities for future use at high-coherence, diffraction-limited light sources. Read more »
Expanding the Infrared Nanospectroscopy Window
An innovative infrared-light probe with nanoscale spatial resolution has been expanded to cover previously inaccessible far-infrared wavelengths. The ability to investigate heterogeneous materials at nanometer scales and far-infrared energies will benefit a wide range of fields, from condensed matter physics to biology. Read more »
In Situ X-Ray Scattering Helps Optimize Printed Solar Cells
Printable plastic solar cells are a potential source of inexpensive renewable energy, but the transition from lab to factory results in decreased efficiency. Now, for the first time, a miniature solar-cell printer installed in a beamline allows researchers to use x-ray diffraction and scattering to figure out why. Read more »
New ALS Technique Gives Nanoscale Views of Complex Systems
A new broadband imaging technique looks inside the mesoscale realm with unprecedented sensitivity and range. Synchrotron Infrared Nano-Spectroscopy (SINS) will enable in-depth study of complex molecular systems, including liquid batteries, living cells, novel electronic materials, and stardust.
Read more »
