A single diamond crystal does the job
Monday, August 25, 2014 - 08:00
in Physics & Chemistry
(Phys.org) —X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is a technique used in many areas of science, from biology to materials science,that allows researchers to uncover information on a sample's molecular structure and electronic behavior by studying how it absorbs and re-emits x-rays. Recently, a research team working at the National Synchrotron Light Source developed a way to improve certain XAS experiments by replacing a standard experimental component, an x-ray beam monitor, with a diamond-based type that is better performing but has been incompatible with many XAS experiments due to technical roadblocks.