Volume 3 Issue 9, September 2018

The new European Spallation Source (ESS) and the MAX IV synchrotron in Sweden form the next European hub for accelerator-based research. Following visits to these centres, and participating in the Big Science Business Forum 2018 (BSBF2018) in Copenhagen, the future of European X-ray and neutron beamlines is explored.

To protect our cultural heritage, it is essential that we understand the material properties of artefacts. Detailed information can be obtained on complex and often highly degraded materials using synchrotron X-ray analysis, aiding our ability to design effective stabilization and remediation strategies.

An intergovernmental research facility in Jordan — SESAME — opened its doors in 2017 to researchers from the neighbouring region. A year later, the first experiments by users are revealing how the possibilities for scientific research in the region have increased, bringing the promise for rapid development and the initiation of new collaborations.

X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) are revolutionizing our ability to measure and understand the behaviour of complex materials. A new generation of XFELs is imminent, offering new approaches to materials characterization.

X-ray tomography is revolutionizing battery research and development by enabling non-destructive, 3D imaging of the inside of battery cells before, during and after operation.

Combining data from neutron and X-ray techniques can reveal previously unseen details within fossilized remains. Interpretation of vast amounts of data by students speeds up the gathering of information and engages young scientists in the discovery process.

In quantum materials, ultrashort light pulses can induce transitions between electronic phases, switch ferroic orders and unveil non-equilibrium emergent behaviours. Here, we review the use of femtosecond X-ray pulses in tracking the underlying dynamics of the structural, electronic and magnetic order in these systems.

Photon spectroscopies provide insight into a wide range of materials. In this Review, theoretical and computational efforts to understand, simulate and predict the results of photon spectroscopies are assessed for systems both in and out of equilibrium, with a focus on advances that reveal information about correlated materials.

The past four decades have seen breathtaking developments in techniques and applications using synchrotron radiation for the characterization of heterogeneous catalysts and catalytic processes. In this Review, we discuss recent advances, focusing on spatial and temporal explorations of the solid catalyst.

Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) is a powerful experimental technique that can directly visualize electronic structures of materials. In this Review, the basic principles of ARPES are introduced, and its application to quantum materials, with a focus on topological quantum materials and transition metal dichalcogenides, is discussed.