Nanoscale Imaging: Soft X-ray STXM and Ptychography at the ALS

Abstract: Advancements in materials research increasingly require visualization of structure, composition, and functionality at the nanometer scale. Soft X-ray Ptychography and Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy (STXM) are two complementary techniques that leverage the brightness and coherence of synchrotron radiation at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) to probe materials with high spatial resolution and enhanced chemical sensitivity. This seminar offers conceptual insights and practical guidance for designing and executing STXM and ptychography experiments, illustrated with examples such as precipitate formation in catalytic particles, chemical dynamics in battery materials, and labyrinth domain formation in magnetic thin films. The experimental workflow is outlined, from sample preparation and data acquisition to common challenges and management of beam time. Finally, the seminar covers data processing and interpretation, including ptychographic reconstructions, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) analysis, and tomographic reconstructions.

 

Speaker Bio: Jayden Plumb completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Utah and earned his graduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Advanced Light Source at LBNL, he specializes in 3D imaging techniques using soft X-rays. He is currently interested in imaging novel nanoscale magnetic structures and nanoscale devices.