This review examines the use of ultra-small angle X-ray scattering (USAXS), a nondestructive technique for analyzing the multi-scale microstructures of hard materials such as ceramics, metals and composites. It discusses the principles, benefits and challenges of USAXS, along with its potential to advance materials development and optimize manufacturing processes, while also considering future enhancements through multimodal characterization and machine learning.

The Materials Imaging and Dynamics (MID) instrument at the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser facility is described. Recent commissioning results are discussed to illustrate the potential experimental applications of MID.

A scheme for high-resolution X-ray microscopy by scanning the nanoprobe, rather than the sample, has been demonstrated. A combination of X-ray prisms and advanced reflective mirror optics offer a simple and precise nanoprobe scan that will open new opportunities for microscopic X-ray analyses.

The PUMA (Photons Utilisés pour les Matériaux Anciens) beamline is made available to scientific communities studying materials from cultural heritage. A detailed analytical characterization of this beamline as an analytical and imaging tool is demonstrated using the Seymchan pallasite meteorite and an Antarctic unmelted micrometeorite as case studies.

The current state of the Biomedical Imaging and Therapy beamlines of the Canadian Light Source is described and new capabilities are presented.

By fitting photoelectron intensity versus energy to numerically derived curves, the thickness and coverage of carbon coatings on silicon materials destined for use as negative electrodes in lithium-ion batteries can be obtained.

The GALAXIES beamline, an in-vacuum undulator hard X-ray micro-focused beamline at Synchrotron SOLEIL dedicated to the study of the electronic structure of materials with high energy resolution using both photoelectron spectroscopy and inelastic X-ray scattering and under both non-resonant and resonant conditions, is described

Synchrotron radiation has been used to test the resistance to hard X-rays of hybrid organic-inorganic films doped with increasing amounts of fullerene C₆₀.

A novel measurement scheme that allows multiplexed simultaneous measurements from multiple nearby sample volumes is reported.

The study of the dynamics of radiation-sensitive soft-matter suspensions is demonstrated by means of sequential-shot X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy below the radiation-damage threshold at the SACLA free-electron laser.