LCLS X-ray Pump Probe (XPP)

Rattled Atoms Mimic High-temperature Superconductivity

An experiment at SLAC provided the first fleeting glimpse of the atomic structure of a material as it entered a state resembling room-temperature superconductivity – a long-sought phenomenon in which materials might conduct electricity with 100 percent efficiency under everyday conditions.

Robotics Meet X-ray Lasers in Cutting-edge Biology Studies

Scientists at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory are combining the speed and precision of robots with one of the brightest X-ray lasers on the planet for pioneering studies of proteins important to biology and drug discovery.

Revealed at Last: Atomic Mechanism for Historic Materials Transformation

SLAC-led researchers have made the first direct measurements of a small, extremely rapid atomic rearrangement that dramatically changes the properties of many important materials.

New X-ray Laser Technique Measures Atomic Vibrations Faster, More Accurately

An international team led by scientists from two SLAC/Stanford institutes has devised a much faster and more accurate way of measuring subtle atomic vibrations that underlie important hidden properties of materials.

X-ray Laser Brings Gold Exploration to the Nanoscale

Pushing gold exploration to the nanoscale, scientists used SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source X-ray laser to produce a series of 3-D images that detail a ringing effect in tiny gold crystals. The technique provides a unique window for studying why smaller is better for some specialized materials, including those used in chemical reactions and electronic components, for example.

'Beam Sharing': Two Experiments with One X-ray Laser

Blue-glowing diamond crystals hold promise for expanding the research capacity of SLAC's X-ray laser by divvying up its pulses for use in separate, simultaneous experiments.

In a Feb. 6 test, scientists used perfect diamond crystals to separate ultrabright X-ray pulses at the Linac Coherent Light Source into groups of "colors," or wavelengths, for experiments spaced about 250 meters apart.

X-rays Capture Electron 'Dance'

The way electrons move within and between molecules, transferring energy as they go, plays an important role in many chemical and biological processes, such as the conversion of sunlight to energy in photosynthesis and solar cells. But the fastest steps in this energy transfer have eluded detection.

Scientists Use LCLS to See Photovoltaic Process in Action

A surprising atomic-scale wiggle underlies the way a special class of materials reacts to light, according to research that may lead to new devices for harvesting solar energy.