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synchrotron radiation, Taiwan Photon Source, users’ meeting, pair distribution function, next-generation batteries, advanced materials
32nd NSRRC Users’ Meeting & Workshops Celebrated Ten Years of the Taiwan Photon Source
2026/10/07
The 32nd Users' Meeting & Workshops was held from August 25 to 27, 2026. This year's Users' Meeting was jointly organized by Prof. Yen-Lin Huang from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU), Chair of the Users’ Executive Committee (UEC), and Dr. Tzu-Hung Chuang of NSRRC. This year, the Users’ Meeting was held in conjunction with the "Celebration of TPS: 10 Years of Shaping Light," the presentation ceremony of the 6th NSRRC Outstanding Paper Award, as well as 3 mini-workshops and 3 main workshops. Furthermore, the NSRRC co-organized the "Sow-Hsin Chen Distinguished Lectureship on Neutron Science and Technology" to exchange cutting-edge research in neutron science. A total of 45 domestic and international scholars and experts were invited to give lectures. The event attracted 533 participants, creating a lively and engaging atmosphere throughout the meeting.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Taiwan Photon Source (TPS). A celebration marking this milestone was held on the morning of the first day of the Users’ Meeting, with Minister Cheng-Wen Wu of the National Science and Technology Council delivering remarks. NSRRC Chairman Chen-Kang Su and other distinguished guests also attended the celebration. The event featured congratulatory videos from users and a presentation by the NSRRC Director General, Dr. Meng-Fan Luo, reviewing the past 10 years of the TPS and discussing its future outlook. The Users' Meeting was then kicked off by Prof. Yen-Lin Huang, Chair of the Users' Executive Committee (UEC). The keynote speech for the conference was given by Prof. Shang-Jr Gwo from National Tsing Hua University. This was followed by the 6th "NSRRC Outstanding Paper Award" ceremony. This year, papers in the "Natural Sciences Field" were evaluated, and Dr. Heng-Liang Wu from National Taiwan University (NTU) won the award. After receiving the award, the winning team gave a speech to share their achievements and honor. The afternoon marked the beginning of two days of excellent speeches by outstanding users from various research fields of the NSRRC.

The morning of the second day featured a highly praised “NSRRC Run” event, attracting a total of 109 participants to join in the grand occasion. This was immediately followed by this year's Users' Town Meeting, co-hosted by UEC Chair Prof. Huang and Neutron Users' Executive Committee Chair Prof. Wei-Tin Chen, which provided an opportunity for communication and clarification between the users and the NSRRC. For the "Sow-Hsin Chen Distinguished Lectureship on Neutron Science and Technology" co-organized with National Tsing Hua University, Dr. Wei-Ren Chen from Oak Ridge National Laboratory was invited to deliver a speech on the topic of "Complex Wave Fields for Structural Inversion of Soft Materials." In the afternoon, there were 3 parallel mini-workshops, focusing on academic exchange and technical discussions between NSRRC scientists and users.

Participation in the poster exhibition was very active this year, with a total of 252 posters displayed. Among them, 15 were selected for the oral presentation competition, and 161 participated in the poster competition. The presenters eagerly shared their research results during the poster session, creating a lively atmosphere. After careful evaluation by the panel of judges in each category, the most outstanding winners are listed as follows (please refer to the conference website for the complete list of winners), and they were recognized and awarded at the conference banquet on the second day. Following a touching speech by the current UEC Chair, Prof. Yen-Lin Huang, at the banquet, the baton for the next UEC Chair was handed over to Prof. Yung-Tin Pan from National Tsing Hua University, bringing the banquet to a successful conclusion.
 
 Poster Award Category Winner Advisor Affiliation
Oral Presentation:
The Glory of Taiwan Award		 Biological Science Yu-Chen Chang Manuel Maestre-Reyna   Natl. Taiwan Univ.
Materials Science Chia-Yu Chang Bing Joe Hwang Natl. Taiwan Univ. of Sci. and Tech.
Physics/Chemistry Tzu-Ming Chan Ying-Hao Chu Natl. Tsing Hua Univ.
Poster Competition:
Award of Excellence		 Biological Science Jui-Chien Chen Chii-Shen Yang Natl. Taiwan Univ.
Materials Science Wan-Chun Hsiao Pai-Chun Wei Natl. Cheng Kung Univ.
Chia-Chen Hsu Yen-Hua Chen Natl. Cheng Kung Univ.
Liang-Chao Hsu Yen-Lin Huang Natl. Yang Ming Chiao Tung Univ.
Tammy Laysandra Wei-Hung Chiang Natl. Taiwan Univ. of Sci. and Tech.
Hsin-Kai Lee Chang-Ming Jiang Natl. Taiwan Univ.
Sheetikanta Mohanty Hsuen-Li Chen Natl. Taiwan Univ.
Physics/Chemistry Yun-Hao Chen Chun-Hong Kuo Natl. Yang Ming Chiao Tung Univ.
Kuanhsuan Su Orion Shih NSRRC

Mini-workshop 1: High-Efficiency Planning for Powder Diffraction and Total Scattering—Comparing TPS 19A/20A and TLS 01C2 with User Proposal Triage 
The mini-workshop attracted nearly 80 participants, including nine university professors and researchers. Six NSRRC scientists introduced the capabilities and applications of TPS 19A and TPS 20A, as well as the upcoming decommissioning of TLS 01C2, helping users identify the most suitable beamlines for their research proposals. The workshop also highlighted the high data quality of TPS 19A and the development of a new pair distribution function (PDF) experimental station at TPS 19A2, which will further enhance the NSRRC’s capabilities in structural characterization of advanced materials.

Mini-workshop 2: Time-Resolved Scattering and Spectroscopy Techniques 
The mini-workshop on time-resolved scattering and spectroscopy techniques brought together synchrotron beamline scientists and researchers from NTU and NYCU to showcase TPS's time-resolved capabilities and cutting-edge ultrafast laser studies. The event highlighted updates on TPS beamlines 09A, 23A, and 30A, introduced the upcoming Tr-PES at 43A, and shared compelling user research to foster future collaborations.

Mini-workshop 3: Applications and Development of High-Resolution Spectroscopy—TPS 47A HERFD-XAS/XES and HAXPES Technical Workshop 
This mini-workshop focused on the experimental techniques and future applications of the TPS 47A High-Resolution Spectroscopy Beamline, including high-energy-resolution fluorescence detected X-ray absorption spectroscopy (HERFD-XAS), X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES), and hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES). Research achievements in areas such as catalytic reaction mechanisms and semiconductor device interface science were presented. The workshop also provided updates on beamline construction, endstation planning, and the anticipated schedule for user access. Through discussion and exchange, user needs and suggestions were collected to guide future technical improvements and development, with the goal of establishing an internationally competitive high-resolution spectroscopy research platform.

Three workshops were held on the third day. The events are summarized below:

Workshop I: Empowering XAFS with XES, Modulated Excitation, and Machine Learning: Multimodal Spectroscopy for Catalysis and Materials Dynamics
X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy has long been one of the key synchrotron-based techniques for probing the local atomic and electronic structures of materials, with broad applications in catalysis, energy materials, and advanced materials research. As scientific problems become increasingly complex, conventional single-technique approaches are often insufficient to capture the rapid, transient, and coupled structural and electronic changes that occur under realistic reaction conditions. With this perspective, the workshop explored how emerging experimental and computational approaches—including XES, time-resolved and modulation-excitation methods, automation, and Machine Learning (ML)—can further extend the capabilities of XAFS for studying local structure, electronic states, and dynamic reaction mechanisms. A central theme throughout the workshop was the transition from individual characterization techniques toward multimodal and multi-dimensional characterization, integrating experimental spectroscopy, theoretical analysis, and data science. This direction also echoed the Director General’s opening remarks: addressing increasingly complex materials and catalytic systems requires not only advanced characterization tools, but also interdisciplinary collaboration and a more integrated research ecosystem.

Workshop II: Next-Generation Ion Battery Technologies: High Power, High Energy Density, and Industrial Challenges
Workshop II brought together experts from industry, academia, and research institutions to discuss key challenges in next-generation batteries, including high power, high energy density, safety, and practical applications. The program opened with remarks by NSRRC Director General Meng-Fan Luo. Kuei-Yung Wang (Cold Electric) and Ren-Jen Shiue (E-One Moli Energy Corporation) shared industrial perspectives on battery development, AI infrastructure, and next-generation aerospace applications, followed by talks on high-power cells, intrinsic safety, and energy storage system (ESS) protection. Afternoon sessions covered Ni-rich cathodes, Co-free high-voltage LNMO, recycling-derived energy-storage materials, future lithium-battery trends, entropy-engineered cathodes, solid electrolytes, and material selection for electric vehicle (EV) and ESS applications. The workshop also highlighted the important role of synchrotron techniques in understanding battery reaction mechanisms and interfacial processes.

Workshop III: Opening New Frontiers in Total Scattering: The Pair Distribution Function (PDF) Facility at NSRRC and Future Directions
In preparation for the SPring-8-II upgrade and 2027 shutdown, Taiwan Beamline BL12B2 at SPring-8 in Japan has completed major optical and experimental enhancements. Chaired by Dr. Hirofumi Ishii, this workshop highlighted new capabilities in high-energy X-ray total scattering and PDF analysis. Dr. Yu-Cheng Shao (NSRRC) presented beamline upgrades, including a new 66 keV high-energy operating mode. Dr. Jo-Chi Tseng (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore) illustrated PDF applications in probing local atomic order and operando structural evolution. Dr. Satoshi Hiroi (Shimane University, Japan) reviewed SPring-8 PDF facilities and demonstrated rapid PDF data acquisition at BL12B2. The workshop concluded with active Q&A regarding future beamtime proposals.
Group photo from NSRRC’s 32nd Users’ Meeting & Workshops.
Selected photos from the event: (top row, from left) the celebration of the 10th Anniversary of TPS Operation, the 6th Outstanding Paper Award ceremony, and the NSRRC Run; (middle row, from left) the Neutron Users’ Town Meeting, Sow-Hsin Chen Distinguished Lectureship on Neutron Science and Technology, and the poster session; and (bottom row, from left) Workshops I, II and III.