DOE's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Uses AI to Enhance X

The Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory has designed an artificial intelligence-based method that would make it easier for scientists to compare X-ray images of semiconductor materials.

The lab, which is operated by Stanford University, is banking on the technology to support its Linac Coherent Light Source, the first hard X-ray free electron laser facility in the world, DOE said Thursday.

Scientists use X-rays to detect the current and changing atomic structure of materials, which help them develop new elements. The process is valuable in the creation of next-generation computers and chip-based technologies.

The new AI technique proved 10 times faster than previous methods of comparing X-ray images, and 100 times faster when combined with new hardware such as the upgraded LCLS. LCLS II is being designed to capture up to a million snapshots per second, exponentially higher than the 100 images per second capability of its previous version.

AI also enabled SLAC researchers to study high-temperature superconductors and analyze data in real-time, saving them time and providing a shortcut to pinpointing and investigating intriguing results.

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is the site of the 2-mile Stanford Linear Accelerator, the longest particle accelerator in the world.

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