Visualizing Electronic and Structural Properties of Materials Using X-ray and Electron Beam Technique

Dear Colleagues,

The development of next-generation materials in the fields of high-temperature superconductivity, battery, catalysis, and biomaterials has placed heavy emphasis on the functional properties of matter. At the most fundamental level, such properties are dictated by the spatial arrangements of atoms, molecules and their electronic structures. Accessing relevant information requires measurements be taken at a length scale that is considerably smaller than a billionth of a meter. However, even the most advanced visible light microscopes are unable to detect such atomic-level features due to the wavelength limitation, which is a thousand times larger than inter-atomic spacing. 

X-ray and electron beams have been the primary means of probing the positions and configurations of atoms in various condensed matter systems ranging from simple solids to amorphous materials, such as liquids and glasses. Since their wavelengths are comparable to atomic size and their energies are suitable for accessing electronic binding energy, today's most advanced synchrotron sources and electron microscopes can be used to visualize atomic and electronic structures. Improved source coherence and detector technologies also offer unique opportunities for researchers to follow dynamical phenomena.

For this Special Issue, we are inviting submissions that exploring advanced measurement and analysis methods by using x-rays and electrons to study structural and electronic properties. Improving source brightness puts equal demands on light sources, optics, detectors, data processing, storage, and data analysis and modeling. More specifically, this issue aims to cover areas such as the structural analysis of crystalline and non-crystalline orders, measurement of electronic structure and performance of energy level analysis, advanced light sources, as well as detector and data acquisition methods. Opportunities in time-resolved measurements, artificial intelligence for data analysis, and other novel approaches remain open. We invite submissions in all these areas, as well as reviews of relevant fields.

Dr. Sooheyong Lee
Dr. Jihwan Kwon
Dr. Janghyun Jo
Guest Editors

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