Opportunities and challenges using short-pulse X-ray sources.

• Free-electron lasers will change the way we carry out time-resolved X-ray experiments. At present date, we use laser-produced plasma sources or synchrotron radiation. Laser-produced plasma sources have short pulses, but unfortunately large pulse-to-pulse fluctuations and large divergence. Synchrotron radiation from third generation source provide collimated and stable beams, but unfortunately long pulses. This means that either the time-resolution is limited to 100 ps or rather complex set-ups involving slicing or streak cameras are needed. Hard X-ray free-electron lasers will combine the best properties of present-day sources and increase the number of photons by many orders of magnitude. Already today, a precursor to the free-electron lasers has been built at Stanford Linear Accelerator Centre (SLAC). The Sub-Picosecond Photon Source (SPPS) has already shown the opportunities and challenges of using short-pulse X-ray sources.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Atom- och molekylfysik och optik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics (hsv//eng)

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