LCLS-II (X-ray laser)

2023: Product Announcement

On September 18, 2023, American researchers reported Stanford University on the creation of the world's most powerful X-ray laser. The LCLS-II plant, mounted at the Ministry's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, is expected to power engineering specialists USA revolutionize many areas, including chemistry, biology and medicine.

The world's first free electron X-ray laser, LCLS, was commissioned at the SLAC site in 2009. An installation based on a copper waveguide located at normal room temperature provides up to 120 X-ray pulses per second. The LCLS-II system was created as a result of a large-scale project to modernize the original installation: thousands of scientists, engineers and technical specialists of the US Department of Energy, as well as partner organizations, took part in the work, the cost of which is estimated at $1.1 billion.

The world's most powerful X-ray laser has been created

LCLS-II takes X-ray science to a whole new level: the plant can produce up to a million X-ray pulses per second, about 8,000 times more than the original complex. A key element of the LCLS-II design is a superconducting accelerator consisting of 37 cryogenic modules. They cool to minus 271 degrees Celsius, which is close to absolute zero (minus 273.15 degrees).

By capturing images of processes at the atomic level on an attosecond time scale, the plant will provide qualitatively new information on chemical and biological reactions. This will accelerate innovation in areas ranging from renewable energy and quantum science to fertilizer production to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, materials with unique properties are expected to appear, as well as the development of next-generation communication technologies.^[1]

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