Specific Synchrotron Radiation Facilities Users Community (SpRUC)

This research community consists of researchers and student members who aim to investigate the electronic states of materials in an element- and orbital-selective manner using photon-in/photon-out X-ray spectroscopies, such as X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and inelastic X-ray scattering (IXS). The ultimate goals are to elucidate the mechanisms underlying material properties and to improve the performance of functional materials.
In XES/IXS measurements, both the incident X-ray energy and the emitted or scattered X-ray energy serve as experimental parameters. High energy resolution of approximately 0.01?1 eV is employed when necessary, and a variety of spectroscopic methods are available depending on whether the measurement is performed at an absorption edge. These include XES, which probes the electronic states of occupied orbitals; high-energy-resolution fluorescence-detected X-ray absorption spectroscopy (HERFD-XAS), which provides high-resolution X-ray absorption spectra with reduced core-hole lifetime broadening; and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS), which enables the observation of elementary excitations in materials such as magnons and phonons. These techniques offer capabilities distinct from those of conventional X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), which is widely used.
XES/IXS techniques have advanced significantly with the emergence and development of high-brightness sources at third-generation synchrotron radiation facilities. These methods are expected to find broad applications in fields such as condensed matter physics, catalysis, life science, geoscience, environmental science, and industrial areas including materials and device development. During the 5th?7th terms, the activities of this community focused mainly on hard X-ray XES/IXS experiments at SPring-8, promoting the dissemination of measurement and analysis techniques as well as information exchange on technical developments and research outcomes. With the start of user operations at NanoTerasu, the scope of the 8th term will be expanded to include soft X-ray XES/IXS. The community will promote the following activities with the aim of advancing cutting-edge research utilizing SPring-8 and NanoTerasu.

• Organization of research meetings and workshops
  Since XES/IXS is still a relatively new experimental approach, the dissemination of the methodology and the expansion of the user community remain important challenges. The community will organize regular research meetings and workshops to facilitate discussion of scientific results and to share expertise in measurement techniques and data analysis. In addition, training courses and tutorial workshops will be held to promote the use of synchrotron radiation techniques and to encourage new users to adopt XES/IXS methods.
• Advancement of state-of-the-art XES/IXS measurement techniques
  Through active collaboration and joint research with users possessing advanced experimental capabilities, we will develop techniques such as measurements under extreme conditions and operando measurements, thereby advancing state-of-the-art XES/IXS methodologies. In addition, surveys of user needs and usage trends will be conducted, and recommendations will be made for further upgrades of measurement instrumentation.
• Improvement of measurement efficiency and data analysis
  We will promote the automation and remote operation of XES/IXS measurements to improve experimental efficiency. Furthermore, through discussions and information exchange involving both experimentalists and theorists on data analysis methodologies, we will promote high-throughput generation of scientific outcomes.
• Discussion on new science enabled by fourth-generation synchrotron radiation sources
  In collaboration with other related SpRUC research communities and relevant academic societies, we will compile information on pioneering research and proposals from users. Based on these discussions, we will explore new scientific opportunities enabled by fourth-generation synchrotron radiation sources and provide recommendations for future beamline development.