Joint CFN and NSLS-II Synchrotron Lecture Series
Download a comprehensive introduction to advanced material characterization and fabrication techniques available at NSLS-II and CFN
The lecture series covers the underlying theory of synchrotron radiation and its cutting-edge applications as a research tool. It address essential topics such as light and matter inactions in-depth, and it is designed as an introductory course for college students studying any field of science. Students will become familiar with the experimental techniques, be able to select the instruments suitable for their particular applications, and could contribute to writing competitive proposals for facility access. Participants are free to contact the instrument scientists with their questions.
Introduction to X-Ray Interactions with Matter
This lecture offers a brief overview of Brookhaven National Laboratory and two of its user facilities, the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) and Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN). The second part of this lecture covers the basics of x-ray interactions with matter to help students understand the techniques discussed throughout the lecture series.
Synchrotron Radiation
Synchrotron radiation is a widely used tool for studying materials because of its unique properties and capabilities. This lecture is focused on the generation of synchrotron radiation and its beam properties. A description of magnetic devices used for generation of synchrotron radiation is given as well as an overview of synchrotron facilities and x-ray free electron lasers around the world.
X-ray Powder Diffraction
This lecture focuses on the fundamental principles and application of x-ray powder diffraction using a synchrotron radiation source. The lecture discusses experimental methods for collecting data and quantitative analysis and crystallography techniques, as well as peak profile analysis for microstructural studies and other advanced powder diffraction techniques.
X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy
This lecture is an introduction to two inner-shell spectroscopy techniques, x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). It covers the basic physics of inner shell spectroscopies and gives an overview on XAS and XRF beamline instrumentation, as well as examples of the science research that can be accomplished using XAS and XRF.
Macromolecular Crystallography
The macromolecular crystallography lecture introduces the research area of biological molecule structures and their functions. It covers the basics from fundamental protein structure theory to crystallization of proteins as well as data collection on diffraction beamlines and data analysis of diffraction patterns.
X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is a synchrotron radiation technique that can be used for chemical analysis of materials. This lectures introduces the basic concepts of the photoelectric effect and XPS as a measurement technique. It also covers the advanced technique of ambient pressure XPS and gives a selection of experimental examples.
Small Angle X-ray Scattering
In this lecture, the basic principles of small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) from bulk materials and surfaces are introduced. The lectures covers the fundamentals grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) and x-ray reflectivity (XRR), as well as x-ray scattering instrumentation and data processing with examples of applications.
Resonant Inelastic X-Ray Scattering
Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) measures the energy change and momentum change of photons scattered from a sample, and probes the behavior of the valence electrons in materials. This lecture covers the fundamentals of band structure to electron behavior, as well as the instrumentation for RIXS and experimental examples of RIXS studies.
Full-field X-ray Imaging
The goal of this lecture is to offer a basic introduction to key x-ray imaging concepts and to describe the usage of full-field x-ray imaging as a scientific tool. It covers instrumentation and practical challenges of the technique, and offers an outlook to current scientific frontiers. It also includes examples of scientific studies using x-ray imaging.
Transmission Electron Microscopy and Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy
In this lecture, the fundamental principles of transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy are covered, including the essential basics for electron lenses and scientific instrumentation. Additionally, other related spectroscopy techniques are discussed and illustrated with experimental examples.
X-ray Microscopy
This introduction to x-ray imaging and microscopy covers the fundamentals from x-ray absorption and phase contrast to Fresnel wave propagation and lens-based x-ray microscopy. It also introduces full-field transmission x-ray microscope and scanning x-ray microscopy, as well as lens-less x-ray microscopy as research tools including examples for various applications.
