After five years of virtual-only gatherings, the annual National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) and Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN) Users’ Meeting returned as a combined on-site/remote event. Most of the 531 registrants — representing 32 countries and 140 institutions — participated in person. Held May 13-17 at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, the meeting focused on the continued growth and impact of NSLS-II and CFN, which are DOE Office of Science user facilities at Brookhaven.
The main plenary session took place in Brookhaven’s Berkner Hall on Tuesday, May 14, between days of science workshops. After a brief welcome by CFN Users Executive Committee (UEC) Chair Laiba Bilal, Brookhaven Lab Director JoAnne Hewett expressed her enthusiasm for the meeting’s on-site format while acknowledging that the COVID-19 pandemic had led to significant improvements in Brookhaven’s remote research capabilities. She highlighted that off-site access to tools and instrumentation and improved data infrastructure have made Brookhaven accessible to researchers from various geographies and backgrounds. This aligns with Brookhaven’s goal to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
Hewett summarized ongoing developments at the Laboratory, including the new Science and User Support Center within Discovery Park, expanding techniques and tools at CFN, and constructing Brookhaven’s newest particle accelerator, the Electron-Ion Collider. She also discussed progress in building out the NSLS-II facility to its full capacity of beamlines.
“NSLS-II is extremely important to Brookhaven,” she said. “The broad spectrum of science that a light source enables is truly amazing, and our light source is enormously productive.”
Erik Johnson, interim director of NSLS-II, provided an update on the facility's status and changes within the overall science climate. He mentioned changes in DOE structure, realignment of its science programs, and nearing completion of the search for a new NSLS-II director.
“All of this is happening because we want to best support the mission of NSLS-II,” Johnson said.
Johnson noted that NSLS-II users reached a record high in 2024 with 2000 users expected by fiscal year-end. He shared research highlights from last year published in high-impact journals and discussed developing new beamlines such as those part of the NEXT-II project: Coherent Diffraction Imaging (CDI), Soft X-ray Nanoprobe (SXN), NanoARPES (ARI), NanoRIXS beamlines projected for availability by 2027. Looking ahead, he mentioned NEXT-III project plans to add eight to twelve beamlines over ten years alongside an NSLS-II upgrade optimizing accelerator and beamlines.
Johnson also mentioned commemorating NSLS-II's ten-year first-light anniversary with special events later this year.
CFN Director Chuck Black celebrated renewed collaboration spirit at CFN in his remarks.
“In 2023, we chose to do not-lonely work,” he said.
Black updated attendees on CFN's growth hosting 655 users in 2023—the most ever—and incorporating new instrumentation like atomic layer etching and rapid thermal processing. He highlighted forthcoming quantum scanning transmission electron microscope enabling groundbreaking studies on electronic properties of materials along with a new high-performance lab space being built for it.
Black described a novel "nanoscience exocortex" project involving AI agents assisting researchers by searching databases suggesting techniques understanding software needs using specific instruments.
“AI is poised to fundamentally change how science is done,” Black said.
Linda Horton from DOE BES outlined leadership changes within Office of Science highlighting favorable fiscal year budgets particularly for BES while discussing BES Advisory Committee goals assessing impacts identifying future facilities needs for next decade serving Office Science country positively concluding major impacts materials nanoscience research training scientists engineers proposing upgrades new facilities like NEXT suites eventual NSLS-II accelerator upgrade after lunch attendees heard flash talks Silvana Westbury lightsources.org Branden Brough National Nanotechnology Coordination Office both joining remotely Julian Baumert PhD Thesis Award presented Juanita Hidalgo postdoc MIT talk thesis work Georgia Tech winners announced several awards two UEC Community Service Awards went Lead Technician Tom Langdon Mercy Baez user administrator improving overall user experience high school poster session boasted 120 attendees supporting impressive research projects represented winners Abigail Lam Ryan Deegan Parker Barry graduate student/postdoc poster awards Yuxiang Peng Semih Cetindag tie third Yichen Gan Varun Kankanallu award announcements coffee break live version popular funny UEC Show hosted Matthew Whitaker guest hosted Denise Yazak guests JoAnne Hewett Qun Shen Dava Keavney topics ranged lighthearted serious musical instruments Starbucks mugs favorite elements establishing ombudsman need more science communication evening lively group nearly hundred attendees vendors meeting organizers moved site enjoy banquet dinner socialization Danford restaurant picturesque Port Jefferson Harbor two Users’ Executive Committees thank sponsors joint Users’ Meeting