diff --git a/src/hdf5_interface.h b/src/hdf5_interface.h
index d9b744685c..58d45e0eee 100644
--- a/src/hdf5_interface.h
+++ b/src/hdf5_interface.h
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 #ifndef OPENMC_HDF5_INTERFACE_H
 #define OPENMC_HDF5_INTERFACE_H
 
-#include "hdf5.h"
-#include "hdf5_hl.h"
-
 #include <array>
 #include <complex>
 #include <cstddef>
@@ -11,8 +8,12 @@
 #include <sstream>
 #include <vector>
 
-#include "position.h"
+#include "hdf5.h"
+#include "hdf5_hl.h"
+#include "xtensor/xadapt.hpp"
+#include "xtensor/xarray.hpp"
 
+#include "position.h"
 
 namespace openmc {
 
@@ -148,6 +149,105 @@ struct H5TypeMap { static const hid_t type_id; };
 // Template functions used to provide simple interface to lower-level functions
 //==============================================================================
 
+// Scalar version
+template<typename T>
+void read_attribute(hid_t obj_id, const char* name, T& buffer)
+{
+  read_attr(obj_id, name, H5TypeMap<T>::type_id, buffer);
+}
+
+// vector version
+template<typename T>
+void read_attribute(hid_t obj_id, const char* name, std::vector<T>& vec)
+{
+  // Get shape of attribute array
+  auto shape = attribute_shape(obj_id, name);
+
+  // Allocate new array to read data into
+  std::size_t size = 1;
+  for (const auto x : shape)
+    size *= x;
+  vec.resize(size);
+
+  // Read data from attribute
+  read_attr(obj_id, name, H5TypeMap<T>::type_id, vec.data());
+}
+
+// Generic array version
+template<typename T>
+void read_attribute(hid_t obj_id, const char* name, xt::xarray<T>& arr)
+{
+  // Get shape of attribute array
+  auto shape = attribute_shape(obj_id, name);
+
+  // Allocate new array to read data into
+  std::size_t size = 1;
+  for (const auto x : shape)
+    size *= x;
+  T* buffer = new T[size];
+
+  // Read data from attribute
+  read_attr(obj_id, name, H5TypeMap<T>::type_id, buffer);
+
+  // Adapt array into xarray
+  arr = xt::adapt(buffer, size, xt::acquire_ownership(), shape);
+}
+
+template <typename T>
+void read_dataset(hid_t obj_id, const char* name, T buffer, bool indep=false)
+{
+  read_dataset(obj_id, name, H5TypeMap<T>::type_id, &buffer, indep);
+}
+
+template <typename T>
+void read_dataset(hid_t dset, std::vector<T>& vec, bool indep=false)
+{
+  // Get shape of dataset
+  std::vector<hsize_t> shape = object_shape(dset);
+
+  // Resize vector to appropriate size
+  vec.resize(shape[0]);
+
+  // Read data into vector
+  read_dataset(dset, nullptr, H5TypeMap<T>::type_id, vec.data(), indep);
+}
+
+template <typename T>
+void read_dataset(hid_t obj_id, const char* name, std::vector<T>& vec, bool indep=false)
+{
+  hid_t dset = open_dataset(obj_id, name);
+  read_dataset(dset, vec, indep);
+  close_dataset(dset);
+}
+
+template <typename T>
+void read_dataset(hid_t dset, xt::xarray<T>& arr, bool indep=false)
+{
+  // Get shape of dataset
+  std::vector<hsize_t> shape = object_shape(dset);
+
+  // Allocate new array to read data into
+  std::size_t size = 1;
+  for (const auto x : shape)
+    size *= x;
+  T* buffer = new T[size];
+
+  // Read data from attribute
+  read_dataset(dset, nullptr, H5TypeMap<T>::type_id, buffer, indep);
+
+  // Adapt into xarray
+  arr = xt::adapt(buffer, size, xt::acquire_ownership(), shape);
+}
+
+template <typename T>
+void read_dataset(hid_t obj_id, const char* name, xt::xarray<T>& arr, bool indep=false)
+{
+  // Open dataset and read array
+  hid_t dset = open_dataset(obj_id, name);
+  read_dataset(dset, arr, indep);
+  close_dataset(dset);
+}
+
 template<typename T> inline void
 write_attribute(hid_t obj_id, const char* name, T buffer)
 {