Xenon

Xenon (Xe) — 10-Year Trends

As of 2026-09-25 · the last 10 years

Research intensity stands at about 49% of the element's own all-time peak, a level reached after a steady decline from 69% at the start of the window.

Research intensity ran from about 69% of the element's own all-time peak in 2016 to about 49% in 2026 — a steady decline, and the all-time peak (2005) lies before this window. Over the same span its share of research attention across all elements fell. Among the 118 elements, xenon has a mid-sized research literature.

The number of papers involving the element rose from about 4,503 in 2016 to about 7,892 in 2025 (1.75x). That is slower than the literature as a whole grew over the same years, so the element lost ground in the wider body of research even as its own count rose.

The dominant research community is Xenon Detectors for Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay, where xenon serves as a minor presence in a much larger community, accounting for about 5% of its papers. This group focuses on xenon-based time projection chambers and scintillation light detection for observing neutrinoless double beta decay and nuclear recoils, with distinctive work on xenon detectors and matter search. It holds about 17% of xenon's recent research, a steady share compared to 21% in the previous period. The community is anchored by the 2023 paper "First Dark Matter Search Results from the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) Experiment," cited over 740 times, and the 2025 paper "Dark Matter Search Results from 4.2 Tonne − Years of Exposure of the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) Experiment," cited over 150 times.

A second major area is Hyperpolarized Xenon Gas Exchange Imaging, where xenon is one strand of a broader community, appearing in about 13% of its papers. These studies use hyperpolarized xenon MRI to measure regional gas exchange and ventilation in conditions like cystic fibrosis, often involving hyperpolarized 129Xe and gas exchange. This community represents about 13% of xenon's recent research, steady relative to 16% previously. Key work includes the 2022 paper "Lung Abnormalities Detected with Hyperpolarized 129 Xe MRI in Patients with Long COVID," cited over 120 times, and the 2019 study "The spectral exponent of the resting EEG indexes the presence of consciousness during unresponsiveness induced by propofol, xenon, and ketamine," cited over 350 times.

Xenon Propulsion in Electric Spacecraft Thrusters forms the third material community, where xenon is a minor presence in a much larger community, involved in about 6% of its papers. Here, xenon serves as the primary propellant in ion and Hall-effect thrusters, with research focusing on plasma dynamics and performance metrics, including electric propulsion and ion thruster systems. It accounts for about 10% of xenon's recent research, steady compared to 8% in the earlier period. Notable papers include the 2023 review "Review of alternative propellants in Hall thrusters," cited about 94 times, and the 2021 demonstration "In-orbit demonstration of an iodine electric propulsion system," cited over 180 times.

Overall, the composition of xenon research has remained stable, with the detector and imaging communities holding steady shares while the propulsion sector also maintained its position. The remainder of the research, comprising other smaller communities, has risen to about 61% of the element's recent work.

For a deeper look at the current state of xenon research, consult the element's Last 12 Months and Executive Brief reports.