First lasing and operation of an ångstrom-wavelength free-electron laser

• Published in: Nature photonics Vol. 4; no. 9; pp. 641 - 647
• Main Authors: Arthur, J, Nuhn, H.-D, Tompkins, H, Bucksbaum, P, Galayda, J, Frisch, J, Welch, J, Hering, Ph, Hastings, J, Pile, G, Decker, F.-J, Brachmann, A, Stefan, P, Loos, H, Bozek, J, Wu, J, Miahnahri, A, Schultz, D, Smith, T, Coffee, R, Yocky, G, Gilevich, S, Messerschmidt, M, Bostedt, C, White, W, Emma, P, Huang, Z, Turner, J, Moeller, S, Bionta, R, Edstrom, S, Hays, G, Ding, Y, Iverson, R, Ratner, D, Fisher, A, Rzepiela, J, Akre, R, Dowell, D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.09.2010; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 639/624/1020/1087; 639/624/400/1106; Applied and Technical Physics; Electromagnetism; electron and ion optics; Electrostatic, collective, and linear accelerators; Exact sciences and technology; Experimental methods and instrumentation for elementary-particle and nuclear physics; Free-electron lasers; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Light sources; Nuclear physics; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Quantum Physics; Radiation by moving charges; Wavelengths; Pulse width; Free electron lasers; Coherent radiation; Radiation sources; fs range; X radiation; Imagery; Linear accelerators
• ISSN: 1749-4885; 1749-4893
• DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2010.176

The recently commissioned Linac Coherent Light Source is an X-ray free-electron laser at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. It produces coherent soft and hard X-rays with peak brightness nearly ten orders of magnitude beyond conventional synchrotron sources and a range of pulse durations from 500 to <10 fs (10 −15  s). With these beam characteristics this light source is capable of imaging the structure and dynamics of matter at atomic size and timescales. The facility is now operating at X-ray wavelengths from 22 to 1.2 Å and is presently delivering this high-brilliance beam to a growing array of scientific researchers. We describe the operation and performance of this new ‘fourth-generation light source’. The Linac Coherent Light Source free-electron laser has now achieved coherent X-ray generation down to a wavelength of 1.2 Å and at a brightness that is nearly ten orders of magnitude higher than conventional synchrotrons. Researchers detail the first operation and beam characteristics of the system, which give hope for imaging at atomic spatial and temporal scales.