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Speedy electrons for brilliant laser light

A research team at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf has successfully operated a laser-plasma FEL in a stable and reproducible manner in the high-gain regime, generating ultraviolet light flashes with high pulse energy. The achievement is significant progress compared to previous results, and the team plans to optimize the interacti...

SourceHelmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 14, 2026

Building desktop particle accelerators to unlock new realms of research

The University of Osaka's researchers have achieved a key milestone in creating tabletop x-ray lasers by demonstrating free-electron laser amplification at extreme ultraviolet wavelengths. They used laser wakefield acceleration to generate high-quality, monoenergetic electron beams, enabling precise control of the plasma source.

SourceThe University of Osaka·JournalPhysical Review Research·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 31, 2026

SLAC scientists created the most powerful ultrashort electron beam in the world

SLAC researchers develop a laser-based shaping technique to compress billions of electrons into a length less than one micrometer, producing an electron beam with femtosecond-duration and petawatt peak power. This achievement opens up new discoveries in quantum chemistry, astrophysics, and material science.

SourceDOE/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 5, 2025

Neat, precise and brighter than ever

Researchers at SwissFEL have achieved breakthroughs in improving the temporal coherence of XFEL pulses by inserting magnetic chicanes to control the timing of the electron beam. This advancement opens new scientific opportunities in fields requiring precise spectral control, such as fundamental physics and applied sciences.

SourcePaul Scherrer Institute·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 18, 2024

Fundamental spatial limits of all-optical magnetization switching

A team of researchers has determined a fundamental spatial limit for light-driven magnetization reversal in nanometer-scale materials. They found that the minimum size for all-optical switching is around 25 nm due to ultrafast lateral electron diffusion, which rapidly cools illuminated regions.

Observing mammalian cells with superfast soft X-rays

Researchers developed a new technique to view living mammalian cells using ultrafast pulses of illumination from a soft X-ray free electron laser. The microscope captured images of carbon-based structures in living cells with high spatial resolution and a wide field of view, revealing new insights into cellular biology.

SourceUniversity of Tokyo·JournalOptica·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 24, 2024

SLAC researchers take important step toward developing cavity-based X-ray laser tech

Researchers at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have developed a key process for next-gen X-ray lasers, demonstrating the use of synthetic diamond crystal mirrors to steer X-ray pulses around a rectangular racetrack. The achievement marks an important step towards creating brighter and more stable X-ray laser pulses.

SourceDOE/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory·JournalNature Photonics·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 15, 2023

An algorithm for sharper protein films

Researchers have developed an algorithm that can be used to evaluate measurements at X-ray free-electron lasers, improving the precision of protein film analysis. The new method, called low-pass spectral analysis (LPSA), mitigates errors in protein movement reconstruction, allowing for more detailed information to be extracted from data.

SourcePaul Scherrer Institute·JournalStructural Dynamics·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 30, 2023

X-ray light reveals how virus responsible for COVID-19 covers its tracks, eluding the immune system

A new study uses serial femtosecond X-ray crystallography to reveal the structure of NendoU protein at room temperature. The resulting high-resolution image shows that the protein's flexibility plays a crucial role in its functional mechanism, which is essential for designing antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2.

SourceArizona State University·JournalStructure·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 10, 2023

Investigating the laser-induced periodic surface structure (LIPSS) of silicon

The study found that titanium and sapphire lasers produce highly crystalline LIPSS with minimal strain, while free-electron lasers lead to defects but no observable strain. The findings suggest tuning LIPSS properties by manipulating laser parameters, paving the way for cost-effective nanostructured surface fabrication.

SourceNagoya Institute of Technology·JournalScientific Reports·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 9, 2023

New software based on Artificial Intelligence helps to interpret complex data

Researchers have developed a new software based on artificial intelligence that can help interpret complex data. The software, called disentangled variational autoencoder network (β-VAE), uses two neural networks to compress and reconstruct data, allowing humans to understand the underlying core principle without prior knowledge.

SourceHelmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie·JournalScientific Reports·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateDec 20, 2022

Milestone for laser technology

A team of researchers from Synchrotron SOLEIL, France, and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Germany, has successfully demonstrated a free-electron laser driven by plasma acceleration and seeded by additional light pulses. This achievement could lead to the development of more compact and affordable FEL systems.

SourceHelmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf·JournalNature Photonics·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 5, 2022

Molecule snapshot by explosion

Researchers at the European XFEL facility have taken pictures of gas-phase iodopyridine molecules at atomic resolution using ultra-bright X-ray pulses. The images were reconstructed from the fragments caused by a Coulomb explosion, providing unprecedented clarity for this method and molecule size.

SourceGoethe University Frankfurt·JournalNature Physics·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 21, 2022

Crystallography for the misfit crystals

Scientists have developed a new technique called small-molecule serial femtosecond X-ray crystallography (smSFX) that can reveal the structures of not-so-neat-and-tidy materials. This method uses an exceptional X-ray laser and custom-built image processing algorithms to diffract individual granules of powders, providing a precise sharp...

SourceDOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 19, 2022

Plasma acceleration: It's all in the mix

Researchers at DESY have achieved two critical milestones in developing innovative plasma accelerators. By combining nitrogen and artificial intelligence, they significantly reduced the energy distribution of accelerated electron bunches, a crucial property for various applications. The team also successfully used AI to optimize the ac...

SourceDeutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateApr 27, 2021

Conquering the timing jitters

A team of scientists from Argonne National Laboratory developed a method to dramatically improve ultrafast time resolution achievable with X-ray free-electron lasers. This breakthrough enables new insights into the behavior of materials and chemical processes, allowing for more efficient designs and discoveries.

SourceDOE/Argonne National Laboratory·JournalNature Physics·DateMar 3, 2021

Ultra-fast electron measurement provides important findings for the solar industry

The study provides important findings for the solar industry by analyzing solar cell processes at an ultra-fast scale. The researchers used time-resolved X-ray photoemission spectroscopy to identify a previously unobserved channel for charge separation, revealing new insights into quantum efficiency and optimization possibilities.

SourceUniversity of Freiberg / TU Bergakademie Freiberg·JournalNature Communications·DateMar 2, 2021

Who stole the light?

A team of researchers has precisely recorded the dependence of resonant magnetic scattering intensity on x-ray intensity using a ferromagnetic domain sample. They found that the loss in scattered x-ray intensity is due to transient demagnetization, not stimulated emission. This clarification has important ramifications for future singl...

SourceForschungsverbund Berlin·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateSep 18, 2020

Old X-rays, new vision: A nano-focused X-ray laser

Scientists from Osaka University have reduced X-ray free-electron laser beam diameter to 6 nanometers, enabling precise imaging of single virus particles and ultrafast chemical processes. This advancement improves the accuracy of measurements closer to the atomic level than previously possible.

SourceOsaka University·JournalJournal of Synchrotron Radiation·DateJul 7, 2020

Water molecules dance in three

Researchers have accurately described the interaction energy among three water molecules for the first time. The study uses advanced spectroscopy and quantum calculations to analyze the intermolecular vibrations of water trimers.

SourceRuhr-University Bochum·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateApr 24, 2020

Shaping waveforms

Scientists at the University of Freiburg have developed a method to control electronic dynamics in real time by shaping attosecond pulses. This breakthrough allows for the study of molecular or crystal responses and has potential applications in optimizing processes like photosynthesis and charge separation.

SourceUniversity of Freiburg·JournalNature·DateFeb 13, 2020

Nanobubbles in nanodroplets

Scientists have observed the ultrafast reaction of nanobubbles in helium droplets after extreme ultraviolet radiation (XUV) excitation. The findings help understand how nanoparticles interact with energetic radiation and decay, essential information for directly imaging individual nanoparticles.

SourceUniversity of Freiburg·JournalNature Communications·DateJan 8, 2020

Fusion by strong lasers

Researchers investigate possibility of facilitating controlled fusion reactions with assisted tunneling processes using X-ray free electron lasers. Theoretical results show promise for increasing tunneling rate, paving way for successful controlled fusion reaction.

SourceHelmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf·JournalPhysical Review C·DateDec 5, 2019

Laser method promising for detecting trace chemicals in air

Researchers developed a mid-infrared picosecond laser-driven electron avalanche technique to detect electric charges and chemicals in air. They measured electron densities down to one part per quadrillion, equivalent to picking out one free electron from a million billion normal air molecules.

SourceOptica·JournalOptica·DateJun 20, 2019

HZB contributions to special edition on ultrafast dynamics with X-ray methods

The Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) has contributed to the special edition on ultrafast dynamics with X-ray methods, focusing on photochemistry and material science. Femtoslicing and BESSY VSR methods have been classified, providing a comprehensive overview of current advances in generating ultra-short X-ray pulses.

SourceHelmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie·JournalPhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London·DateApr 4, 2019

First study of terahertz radiation in liquids

Researchers from ITMO University and the University of Rochester successfully generated terahertz radiation in a liquid medium, demonstrating its efficiency comparable to solid-state sources. The team found that liquids have several advantages over gases, including higher electron density and lower pumping energy requirements.

SourceITMO University·JournalApplied Physics Letters·DateNov 29, 2018