• Fundamental Structural Studies of Hybrid Biomolecular Materials Using Scattering Techniques
• In situ Electromechanical Probing in a TEM
• Soft Materials Microscopy
• Structure and Phase Transformations of Nanophases Embedded in Solids
• Ultrafast Materials Science
• X-ray Studies of Charge-Order Dynamics in Complex Materials

Scattering and Instrumentation Sciences

Core Research Areas: X-ray Scattering, Neutron Scattering, Electron and Scanning Probe Microscopies, and Ultrafast Science and Instrumentation.  

This activity encompasses basic research in condensed matter physics and materials physics using electron, neutron, and x-ray scattering capabilities.  Research includes experiment and theory that seeks to achieve a fundamental understanding of the atomic, electronic, and magnetic structures and excitations of materials as well as the relationship of these structures and excitations to the physical properties of materials.  Also supported is the study of fundamental dynamics in complex materials, correlated electron systems, nanostructures, and novel systems using advanced ultrafast spectroscopy, diffraction and microscopy. The emphasis is on using time-domain approaches to provide new understanding of complex behavior, emergent phenomena, and exotic properties in condensed matter. Another increasingly important aspect is the study of the nature of materials at the nanoscale including ordering fluctuations, and the structure and composition of inhomogeneities such as defects, interfaces, surfaces, and precipitates.

Advancing the state of the art of electron beam and scanning probe techniques and instrumentation for quantitative microscopy and microanalysis is an essential element in this portfolio.   The increasing complexity of energy-relevant materials such as superconductors, semiconductors, and magnets requires continuing development and improvement of next-generation x-ray and neutron scattering instrumentation for characterizing the atomic, electronic, and magnetic structures of these materials.   This includes a full range of elastic, inelastic, and imaging techniques as well as ancillary technologies such as novel detectors, sample environment, data analysis, and technology for producing polarized neutrons.