Photon Sciences

Like giant microscopes, synchrotron light sources have revolutionized the study of the structure and dynamics of materials. Brookhaven’s National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS), a pioneering user facility that attracts about 2,200 visiting scientists per year, has led to wide-ranging and groundbreaking scientific studies, including:

  • Taking molecular-level snapshots of ion channels to understand how the structures help generate nerve impulses in the body
  • Examining hydrogen under extreme pressure to find new states that have transformed our understanding of this fundamental element
  • Investigating magnetic materials to make better recording devices
  • Imaging how batteries work in real time, paving the way for high-performance, cost-effective, and more efficient energy storage
  • Developing a method for breast cancer detection that is more accurate than mammography

But major advances in energy technologies — such as the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier, the widespread use of solar energy, or the development of the next generation of nuclear power systems — will require scientific breakthroughs in developing new materials with advanced properties. A key barrier to progress is the absence of non-destructive tools that will give researchers the ability to “watch” the system dynamics of a wide range of materials with nanoscale resolution — on the order of billionths of a meter.

To fill this need, Brookhaven is building NSLS-II, a light source with exquisite sensitivity that will produce x-rays 10,000 times brighter than the current NSLS.

Photo of NSLS-II

National Synchrotron Light Source II under construction.

Scheduled for completion in 2015, NSLS-II will allow the characterization of the atomic and electronic structure, chemical composition, and magnetic properties of materials in a wide range of temperatures and environments. Its unique aspects will help researchers explore solutions to the grand energy challenges faced by the nation, and open up new regimes of scientific discovery, such as:

  • The correlation between nanoscale structure and function
  • The science of emergent behavior — looking at properties, laws, or phenomenon that occur at the macroscopic, as opposed to the microscopic, scale
  • The mechanisms of molecular self-assembly
  • The structure and function of large molecular assemblies and machines, a critical challenge for structural genomics research and drug design

Findings in these fields will pave the way to discoveries in physics, chemistry, and biology — advances that will ultimately enhance national security and help drive the development of abundant, safe, and clean energy technologies.

NSLS and NSLS-II give Brookhaven leadership in photon sciences. Together with the Center for Functional Nanomaterials and the New York Blue supercomputer (jointly run with Stony Brook Universty), these facilities form a set of complementary tools that amplify the impact of Lab programs in nanoscience, energy science and technology, and life sciences.

Research at the National Synchrotron Light Source