X-ray Absorption spectroscopy: a precious tool for materials science

This presentation has been hold at the Budapest Neutron Center on May 28, 2026. It introduces X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) as a powerful tool for materials science, outlining the principles of synchrotron radiation and the XANES/EXAFS techniques for probing local atomic and electronic structure. It highlights the capabilities of the LISA beamline at ESRF and discusses data analysis approaches. Applications to technologically relevant systems—including materials for nonvolatile memories, electrodes for electrochemistry, and historical pigments—demonstrate how XAS, combined with ab initio modeling, enables quantitative insight into local coordination, valence states, and structure–property relationships.