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Esther Tsai

Staff Scientist, AI Accelerated Nanoscience, Center for Functional Nanomaterials

Brookhaven National Laboratory

Center for Functional Nanomaterials
Bldg. 735, Room 2029
P.O. Box 5000
Upton, NY 11973-5000

(631) 344-6149
etsai@bnl.gov

Esther’s research focuses on developing new X-ray characterization methods and advanced analysis platforms for synchrotron X-ray scattering and imaging. Her work includes developing and deploying AI/ML methods to enhance spatial resolution, optimize experiments, and enable efficient human-computer interaction. In 2023, Esther received the DOE Early Career Research Program (ECRP) award to advance science through agentic AI.

Esther also provides technical, scientific, and administrative leadership for two Partner User Programs between CFN and NSLS-II X-ray scattering beamlines, supporting users conducting small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) experiments at beamlines 11-BM (CMS) and 12-ID (SMI).

Contact her if you have any questions!

Expertise

Inverse problem, machine learning, X-ray imaging, X-ray scattering, synchrotron beamline

Education

Purdue University B.S. 2009 Electrical Engineering
Purdue University Ph.D. 2014 Electrical and Computer Engineering

Professional Appointments

Research and Professional Experience

2018 – present Scientist, Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory
2015 – 2018 Postdoctoral Researcher, Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute

Synergistic Activities

2022 – 2026 Member, Proposal review panel for the Advanced Photon Source (APS)
2020 – 2024 Member, Users' Executive Committee (UEC) for National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)

Selected Publications

Tsai EHR, Yager KG (2025) Exocortex Network for AI-Augmented Human-Led Scientific Expedition. Photon Science. https://doi.org/10.1021/photonsci.5c00009
Gürsoy D, Yang X, Sheyfer D, et al (2026) Structured illumination for surface-resolved grazing-incidence X-ray scattering. Journal of Synchrotron Radiation 33: https://doi.org/10.1107/s1600577526005977
Mathur S, der Vleuten N van, Yager KG, Tsai EHR (2025) VISION: a modular AI assistant for natural human-instrument interaction at scientific user facilities. Machine Learning: Science and Technology 6:025051. https://doi.org/10.1088/2632-2153/add9e4
Potemkin D, Soto C, Li R, et al (2023) Virtual Scientific Companion for Synchrotron Beamlines: A Prototype
Li W, Sidhik S, Traore B, et al (2021) Light-activated interlayer contraction in two-dimensional perovskites for high-efficiency solar cells. Nature Nanotechnology 17:45–52. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-021-01010-2
Tsai EHR, Xia Y, Fukuto M, Loo Y-L, Li R (2021) Grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction tomography for characterizing organic thin films. Journal of Applied Crystallography. doi: 10.1107/s1600576721007184
Guan Z, Tsai E, Huang X, et al (2019) PtychoNet: Fast and High Quality Phase Retrieval for Ptychography. Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI)
Tsai EHR, Marone F, Guizar-Sicairos M (2019) Gridrec-MS: an algorithm for multi-slice tomography. Optics Letters 44:2181. doi: 10.1364/ol.44.002181
Tsai EHR, Billaud J, Sanchez DF, Ihli J, Odstrcil M, Holler M, Grolimund D, Villevieille C, Guizar-Sicairos M (2019) Correlated X-Ray 3D Ptychography and Diffraction Microscopy Visualize Links between Morphology and Crystal Structure of Lithium-Rich Cathode Materials. iScience 11:356–365. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2018.12.028
Holler M, Guizar-Sicairos M, Tsai EHR, Dinapoli R, Müller E, Bunk O, Raabe J, Aeppli G (2017) High-resolution non-destructive three-dimensional imaging of integrated circuits. Nature 543:402–406. doi: 10.1038/nature21698
Tsai EHR, Usov I, Diaz A, Menzel A, Guizar-Sicairos M (2016) X-ray ptychography with extended depth of field. Optics Express 24:29089. doi: 10.1364/oe.24.029089