Tools of the Trade: Multi-Axis Crystal Spectrometer

New materials promise to revolutionize the development of electronics and nanotechnologies—but only if scientists can identify which substances are most promising. The new Multi-Axis Crystal Spectrometer (MACS) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will probe large numbers of novel materials to help pinpoint which ones have sought-after properties, such as unusual magnetic behavior or superconductivity.