Group scientists and collaborators have pioneered many new x-ray techniques with a special emphasis on anomalous (resonant) x-ray diffraction. Advanced x-ray characterization supported by the group includes:

• Anomalous diffuse x-ray scattering for characterization of short-range correlations in alloys and bond distances to ± 0.001;
  
  
• Truncation rod scattering for measurement of surface and interface roughness, atomic structure and chemistry;
  
  
• Microfluorescence analysis/tomography (<1 mm2; <10 mm3) for the study of sample chemistry at part-per-billion (PPB) sensitivity;
  
  
• Microdiffraction (<1 mm2) for the study of inhomogeneous phase, texture and strain over small volumes;
  
  
• Anomalous powder diffraction for the study of site-occupation parameters;
  
  
• Resonant magnetic scattering for the measurement of magnetic transitions.
  
  
• Texture and residual stress in thin films.

Samples studied include:

• Fe-Ni-Cr and other intermetallic alloys
  
  
• Nonferrous alloys including nickel-based superalloys, aluminum- and vanadium-based alloys
  
  
• High temperature superconductors
  
  
• Structural ceramics
  
  
• Advanced electronic materials
  
  
• Composites
  
  
• Graphite and diamond materials
  
  
• Phase transformations in magnetic and non-magnetic materials
  
  
• Thin films and buried interfaces
  
  
• Amorphous and rapidly solidified materials.
  
  
• Radiation effects in a wide-range of materials including segregation, stress, corrosion, and diffusion.