2. Science Highlight —
Electronics go Organic
(contacts: Z. Bao, zbao@stanford.edu; M.F. Toney,
mtoney@slac.stanford.edu)
Using SSRL Beam Lines 11-3 and 10-1, a team of researchers including SSRL
scientists Mike Toney and Jan Lüning (now at Université Pierre et Marie Curie),
and Stanford University researchers, graduate students, Quan Yuan and Mingle
Tang, postdoc Stefan Mannsfeld and Prof. Zhenan Bao, have determined the
precise arrangement of molecules within a thin film sample of an organic
semiconductor, a step that could soon help scientists better design these
materials. The results appear in the March 19, 2008 issue of the Journal of
the American Chemical Society.
Although well-understood, traditional silicon semiconductors are costly to
manufacture, making large arrays of efficient solar arrays, for example,
expensive. Organic semiconductors represent a potential source of inexpensive
electronics that may one day be used to make solar cells, LCD displays and
electronic paper.
Using Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) and Grazing Incidence
X-ray Diffraction, the team examined thin-film samples of the organic, or
"plastic," semiconductor material called thiotetracene, which was first
reported by Prof. Zhenan Bao's group. Results obtained using the two techniques
to determine the molecular arrangement of the semiconductor gives researchers a
better understanding of how the molecular structure of the material relates to
its electronic properties, paving the way for greater control over
manufacturing such materials.
To learn more about this research see the full scientific highlight at:
http://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/research/highlights_archive/otft.html
3.
Safety Reminder
With this note I want to remind everyone to renew their personal commitment to
safety and the prevention of accidents while working at SSRL. We must all plan
and execute our work under the motto "Do it right, or don't do it." Did you
know that one-third of accidents are caused by "slips, trips and falls". To
avoid these, please keep your work area tidy, wipe up spilled liquids, and use
hand rails when walking down stairs. When working at SSRL, if you see something
that does not look or feel safe, please interject and question the activity
and, if necessary, let management know. Please do not be afraid to stop someone
from an unsafe activity. Safety is everyone's responsibility, and all of you
should feel comfortable in taking an active role in ensuring your safety as
well as the safety of those around you. Feel free to contact me or the SSRL
Safety Officers Behzad Bozorg-Chami and Matt Padilla with questions, concerns
or feedback related to site safety at SSRL. Thank you for your attention, and
let's work together to improve site safety for everyone's benefit.
—Joachim Stöhr
4.
Beam Line Updates
A Brand New BL4:
(contacts: J. Bagnasco,
bagnasco@slac.stanford.edu; T. Rabedeau,
rabedeau@slac.stanford.edu)
 |
| First light through the BL4-2
hutch |
SSRL is in the final stages of upgrading the last of the insertion device beam
lines that predates SPEAR3. During the past year, the BL4 wiggler and front end
were relocated from the SPEAR3 13s straight radiating into Building 131 to the
16s straight radiating into Building 130 while the rest of the beam line
optics, components, electronics, and shielding were replaced for compatibility
with 500-mA operations of SPEAR3. The upgraded BL4 includes a water-cooled
mirror and liquid nitrogen-cooled monochromator on each of the three branch
lines. The BL4-3 M0 mirror system features a new mechanical design which should
decrease the pitch-bend coupling experienced with the SSRL standard hard x-ray
mirror mechanical system and allow for an elliptical figure if one is
necessary. The beam line shielding includes extensive use of in-vacuum tungsten
to reduce the amount of external lead required to shield wiggler beam line
components. This change will benefit beam line technical staff by facilitating
improved access to most hardware for modification and/or problem solving. First
light was extracted from BL4 during machine physics on June 3. Initial optics
characterization and optimization followed for the next several weeks
culminating in a comprehensive radiation survey which was completed
successfully on June 23. During the remainder of the run further optics
characterization and optimization efforts will interleave with experimental
station equipment commissioning and initial test data set collection. In
particular, the improved small angle scattering instrumentation for structural
biology and the associated new Rayonix MX225-HE detector will be commissioned
on BL4-2.
 |
| SRN May/June 2008 |
BL6-2: High Resolution, Hard X-ray Bio-Imaging Facility Featured
in SRN
(contacts: J. Andrews,
jandrews@slac.stanford.edu;
P. Pianetta, pianetta@slac.stanford.edu)
The new x-ray imaging facility at SSRL BL6-2, based on an Xradia nano-XCT
full-field transmission x-ray microscope (TXM), can provide complementary and
unique capabilities to the current microscopy methods for studying complex
biological systems. A technical report on the new TXM capabilities was featured
in the May/June 2008 issue of SRN (as well as on the cover). Read more at:
http://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/beamlines/bl6-2/txm/
5.
Register for 2008 SSRL/LCLS Users' Meeting & Workshops, October 15-18, 2008
Register now to participate in the Joint SSRL/LCLS Users' Meeting and Workshops
which will be held here at SLAC October 15-18, 2008. Start to think about
sharing your recent research results during the user science poster session.
This annual event is a valuable opportunity to learn about the latest plans,
new developments and exciting user research at SSRL and LCLS. It is also a
great time to interact with other scientists, potential colleagues, staff and
vendors of light source-related products and services. LCLS/SSRL 2008 will
begin on October 15 with presentations related to LCLS Science and
Instrumentation, LCLS user access policies, updates on LCLS user operations,
and a meeting of the LCLS user community. SSRL workshop options will be held
concurrently on this day, including: Crystallography Made Easy through
Automation, and Advanced Topics in EXAFS Analysis and Applications. The joint
LCLS/SSRL session on October 16 will feature a keynote presentation by SLAC
Director Persis Drell on the Future of Photon Science at SLAC, updates from
SLAC and DOE, user science highlights, and the user science poster session.
The Spicer Young Investigator Award, Klein Professional Development Award, and
Lytle Award will be presented on this day. SSRL sessions on Structural
Molecular Biology, Materials and Environmental Sciences, and facility updates
continue on October 17, to be followed by a meeting of the SSRL Users'
Organization. LCLS-related workshops will be held October 17-18: Application of
Coherent X-rays at the LCLS, Atomic, Molecular & Optical Physics with the LCLS,
and Soft X-ray Instrumentation for LCLS.
http://www-conf.slac.stanford.edu/ssrl-lcls/2008/
6.
Call for Nominations for Spicer, Klein and Lytle Awards
(contact: C. Knotts, knotts@slac.stanford.edu)
Please take a few moments to consider nominating your colleagues or students
for one or more of the following awards which will be presented at the Joint
SSRL and LCLS Users' Meeting, October 15-18, 2008:
William E. Spicer Young Investigator Award -due August 1
http://www-conf.slac.stanford.edu/ssrl-lcls/2008/youngInvestigatorAward.asp
Melvin P. Klein Professional Development Award -due August 1
http://www-conf.slac.stanford.edu/ssrl-lcls/2008/scientificDevelopmentAward.asp
Farrel W. Lytle Award -due August 15
http://www-conf.slac.stanford.edu/ssrl-lcls/2008/FarrelWLytleAward.asp
7.
Sign Up for the Synchrotron Summer School, August 17-22, 2008
 |
The Stanford-Berkeley Summer School is jointly organized by Stanford
University, University of California Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, and SSRL. The goal of the school is to disseminate information
about scientific opportunities in synchrotron radiation applications and train
students on experimental techniques. It provides an interdisciplinary and
intellectually stimulating environment for new and experienced researchers.
Interaction between lecturers and students is stimulated through dedicated
problem solving sessions and round table discussions. The weeklong residential
program provides a comprehensive overview of the synchrotron radiation process,
requisite technologies, different methods, and a broad range of scientific
applications. It will cover both fundamentals of EUV, soft x-ray, and hard
x-ray synchrotron radiation and its use in spectroscopy and diffraction.
Science applications will be given both in physics, chemistry and material
science. Lectures are presented by scientists from the sponsoring organizations
and affiliated user communities. The attendees will participate in experiments,
simulations or tours at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) and at SSRL.
Participation in the summer school is kept to about 40 students who come from
various parts of the world for this comprehensive overview of the synchrotron
radiation process and its applications related to spectroscopy and diffraction.
http://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/sbsummerschool/
8.
SSRL User Receives First Polymer International-IUPAC Award
|  |
| Zhenan Bao
|
Zhenan Bao, associate professor of chemical engineering and the principal
investigator for the organic semiconductor research highlighted above, has won
the Polymer International-International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry
Award for Creativity in Applied Polymer Science or Polymer Technology. The
award celebrates achievements of young researchers in the polymer industry. In
announcing the award, the IUPAC described Bao as "a world leader in the field
of organic and polymer electronics." She will receive $5,000 and is scheduled
to present a lecture titled "Polymers for Flexible Electronics" at an IUPAC
meeting, MACRO 2008, in Taiwan on July 4.
http://old.iupac.org/news/archives/2008/Bao_PI-award.html
9.
Stanford/SSRL Researchers Receive $25 Million Grant for Solar Research
—excerpt from Stanford Report, Dan Stober
Saudi Arabia's new science and technology university has made another large
grant to Stanford researchers, this time revolving around solar power.
The $25 million grant from the King Abdullah University of Science and
Technology, or KAUST, spans the next five years beginning this month and will
fund a new center at Stanford, the Center for Advanced Molecular Photovoltaics.
The center will be directed by Michael McGehee, associate professor of
materials science and engineering. The deputy director is Peter Peumans,
assistant professor of electrical engineering in the Integrated Circuits
Laboratory at the Center for Integrated Systems, who is also affiliated with
the Woods Institute for the Environment. Kelly Gaffney, a member of the SLAC
Photon Science Faculty, and SSRL staff scientist, Michael Toney, are co-PI's on
the grant which will make use of the capabilities of SSRL Beam Lines 1-4, 2-1,
7-2, 10-1 and 11-3 to advance part of the research. Zhenan Bao, mentioned
above, along with Alberto Salleo and Gerry Fuller are also SSRL users and KAUST
co-PI's.
http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2008/june11/saudi-061108.html
10.
Kornberg Advises Support for Basic Science to Solve Medical Challenges
(excerpt from Stanford Report, Donna Alvarado, Stanford School of
Medicine)
|  |
| Roger Kornberg
giving commencement speech
|
Before they dispersed to the hospitals, research labs and industry niches that
would be their future, some 200 graduates of the Stanford School of Medicine
heard a call from one of Stanford's own Nobel laureates to remember what made
it all possible: basic science. Roger Kornberg, PhD, who won the 2006 Nobel
Prize in chemistry, urged graduates to support the pursuit of basic science
research done purely for its own sake, without regard to purpose or
application, that has fueled the major advances in medicine in the last 100
years. He cited everything from antibiotics to genetic engineering to x-rays.
"To solve a basic problem in medicine," Kornberg told the commencement
audience, "don't study it directly; rather, pursue a curiosity about nature and
the rest will follow." Read more at:
http://med.stanford.edu/mcr/2008/commencement-0618.html
11.
Dr. Harriet Kung becomes Associate Director of the Office of Science
for the Office of Basic Energy Sciences
|  |
| Harriet Kung
|
Dr. Patricia Dehmer, Deputy Director for Science Programs, Office of Science,
U.S. Department of Energy recently announced the appointment of Dr. Harriet
Kung as the Associate Director of the Office of Science for the Office of Basic
Energy Sciences (BES) in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), effective June 9,
2008.
Dr. Kung served as the Director of the BES Materials Sciences and Engineering
Division since June 2004, where she oversaw a portfolio of condensed matter and
materials physics programs with an annual budget of more than $250 million. She
has played a leadership role in recent BES strategic planning activities,
beginning with the 2002 workshop Basic Research Needs to Assure a Secure Energy
Future. She subsequently defined and led a number of follow-on workshops that
determined scientific directions that will help drive transformational advances
to meet our need for abundant, clean, and economical energy. Dr. Kung also led
a number of research integration activities with the DOE applied research
programs to define science-to-technology pathways, and she represented the
Department in corresponding interagency and international coordination
activities. Read more at: http://www.sc.doe.gov/bes/Kung_10JUN08.html
12.
User Research Administration Update
(contact: C. Knotts, knotts@slac.stanford.edu)
Mini-Shutdown: As reported in the March edition of Headlines, SSRL user
operations will be shut down for 2-1/2 weeks, June 30-July 15, 2008. Although
the reduced operating schedule is due to budget constraints, we plan to utilize
the down time for equipment maintenance and accelerator physics studies. During
this shutdown, equipment related to top off injection will be installed. Other
activities which would normally disrupt user operations such as seismic
retrofit construction needed in Building 120 have also been scheduled during
this shutdown. User operations will resume on July 16 and continue until August
11 when the 2008 run year ends.
Rapid Access Mechanisms for Beam Time at SSRL: There are a few
remaining rapid
access slots in late July and early August. If you have an exciting new
research project and only need a few shifts of beam time to conduct your
feasibility experiment, consider submitting a rapid access application. These
proposals can be submitted at any time and are peer reviewed very quickly so
that the highest rated proposals can be scheduled within just a few days to a
few weeks:
http://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/users/user_admin/deadlines.html
Rapid Access (BL2-3 Microprobe)
http://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/users/user_admin/bl2-3_microprobe_rapidaccess.html
Rapid Access (BL11-2 MEIS XAS)
http://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/users/user_admin/bl11-2_xas_rapidaccess.html
Rapid Access (BL11-3 X-ray Diffraction)
http://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/users/user_admin/bl11-3_xrd_rapidaccess.html
Rapid Access (BLs 7-1, 9-1, 9-2, 11-1 Macromolecular Crystallography)
http://smb.slac.stanford.edu/forms/beamtime/rapid_access.html
Interested in dinner? Here is your chance to share your opinion about
the availability of food at the SLAC cafeteria weekdays, 5-8 pm. If you are
interested in this potential option, just complete this simple survey to have
your vote count:
http://today.slac.stanford.edu/misc/survey/linear-cafe.htm
__________________________________________________________________________
SSRL Headlines is published electronically monthly to inform SSRL users,
sponsors and other interested people about happenings at SSRL. SSRL is a
national synchrotron user facility operated by Stanford University for the
U.S. Department of Energy Office of Basic Energy
Sciences. Additional support for
the structural biology program is provided by
the DOE
Office of Biological and Environmental Research, the NIH
National Center for Research Resources and the NIH Institute for General Medical
Sciences. Additional information about
SSRL and its operation and schedules is available from the SSRL WWW
site.
__________________________________________________________________________
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