XAFS, EXAFS, and XANES

This site contains information about X-ray Absorption Fine-Structure (XAFS) and related techniques.

XAFS is a scientific technique that uses x-rays to probe the physical and chemical structure at an atomic scale. XAFS is element-specific, in that a particular atomic species is selected for study, and is sensitive to chemical state and the local atomic structure surrounding the selected atom species. Nearly all elements can be studied with XAFS, though the emphasis has traditionally been on the heavier elements.

An energy-tunable x-ray source is needed to measure XAFS, which typically means a synchrotron is used.

Unlike diffraction-based x-ray techniques for studying atomic structure of matter, XAFS does not require a crystalline samples.

More information about XAFS can be found on the pages here, and at:

• XAFS.ORG - a community site, replacing this web site!
• International XAFS Society
• International Union of Crystallography
• XAFS Publication Database