Dr. Elizabeth Miller
Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource 
Stanford SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory 

Most of us have experienced X-ray imaging at the dentist, or perhaps when we’ve broken a bone. But what else can X-rays tell us? How do they inform the world of chemistry? Why should we care?

Dr. Elizabeth Miller, researcher at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, explains how X-rays can be used to learn more about element structure and physical makeup of chemical compounds. X-ray absorption spectroscopy also informs Dr. Miller’s favorite subject, and one of much interest to us and our mobile lives: battery research. Dr. Miller compares different types of batteries, and discusses how X-ray absorption spectroscopy and mapping is a critical tool to her burgeoning research.