X-ray free-electron lasers and the exploration of matter at the angstrom-femtosecond scale

In recent years X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) have increased by ten or more orders of magnitude in coherence and brightness. XFELs allow for the first time the exploration of the structure and dynamics of atomic, molecular, and high energy density systems at the angstrom-femtosecond space and time scale. XFELs use a self-organization, collective phenomenon to generate high intensity coherent photon pulses at wavelengths from nanometers to less than 1 Ã… and duration of about one to 100 femtoseconds. In this talk, I review XFEL development and their physical principles, present status, and future developments. I also discuss some of the breakthrough experiments in physics, chemistry, material sciences and structural biology done recently at the SLAC XFEL, LCLS. LCLS success has spurred a rush worldwide to build or upgrade XFELs in Japan, Europe, Korea, and China and I will briefly review their present status.

Speaker: Claudio Pellegrini, SLAC National Accelerator Lab