The Linac Coherent Light Source II X-ray laser is so fast and bright that it can create movies of atoms moving through molecules.
Physics
December 28, 2022
An electron gun that powers the Linac Coherent Light Source-II X-ray laser Marilyn Chan/Lawrence Berkley
In early 2023, electrons traveling at near-light speed through a tunnel under California will produce the brightest X-rays ever seen on Earth, revealing atoms in unprecedented detail. and molecules can be examined.
These record-breaking X-rays are produced at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory has upgraded its Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) X-ray laser to be the fastest and brightest in the world. LCLS produced about 100 X-ray pulses per second, while LCLS-II…
