The boundaries of science are constantly being pushed and expanded as newer and more advanced technologies are developed, and now, with the world’s most powerful X-ray laser in use, researchers are ushering in a “new era” of discovery. We promise.
The laser in question is Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) II, can generate up to 1 million X-ray flashes per second. This is about 8,000 times brighter than the original LCLS laser, and he produces a virtually continuous beam of high-energy light that is 10,000 times brighter than before.
This means that processes that have perhaps not been properly observed before can be captured in greater detail at the atomic scale, potentially opening up entirely new areas of research.
Think about studying quantum events at higher resolutions than ever before, or capturing chemical processes that take a fraction of the time, from reactions in solar panels to the structure of cells to new types of drugs. Let’s look at.
The machine is located at: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory It is located in California and operated by Stanford University for the U.S. Department of Energy. The announcement of “First Light” comes after more than a decade of development and more than $1 billion of his investment.
“Light from SLAC’s LCLS-II will illuminate the smallest and fastest phenomena in the universe, leading to major discoveries in fields ranging from human health to quantum materials science.” To tell U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm.
Specifically, LCLS-II is X-ray free electron laser (XFEL), in which free electrons are accelerated toward the speed of light, creating an extremely short wavelength, extremely bright, and extremely fast flash, similar to a camera flash that emits light at a speed far beyond what the human eye can perceive. will be generated.
The laser is packed with a variety of cutting-edge technologies. superconducting accelerator And a collection of 37 cryogenic modules operating at extremely low temperatures can propel electrons with little energy loss.
There are also two new undulators. One is “soft” or low energy and the other is “hard” or high energy. x-ray light It is influenced by high-speed electrons, which are an important part of the entire process.
There are only a few XFELs in the world, and they are already making important advances in the understanding of phenomena such as: space weather And that photosynthesis process. Now you can do even more.
These devices have the ability to capture “molecular movies” at the smallest and shortest interactions in science – the speed at which electrons move. attosecond timescale – Will impact physics, chemistry, biology, engineering and materials science.
“Experiments in each of these areas will begin in the coming weeks and months, bringing together thousands of researchers from across the country and around the world.” To tell Mike Dunn, LCLS Director.