What does NEXAFS stand for?

NEXAFS stands for Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure. This term is used in the context of spectroscopy to describe a technique that probes the electronic structure of materials by measuring their absorption of X-rays in the vicinity of an absorption edge. Specifically, it provides information about the unoccupied electronic states of a material and is particularly useful in the analysis of organic and inorganic materials, surfaces, and interfaces.

The term "near edge" emphasizes the position of the measurement just below and above the edge corresponding to a core electron transition, which is key to understanding the fine structure arising from interactions of X-rays with the material. NEXAFS is a vital technique for studying various phenomena in materials science, chemistry, and biochemistry, as it yields insights into molecular and electronic structures.