Accelerator science

Surfing a plasma wave, electrons get an energy and brightness boost.

NLCTA staff helped undergraduates from Harvey Mudd College use the facility’s electron beam to test a detector they designed. 

Experiments running at these higher pulse rates will allow scientists to capture ultrafast processes with greater precision, collect data more efficiently and explore phenomena that were previously out of reach.

His visit highlighted the breadth of our world-class research and the people and collaborations that make it possible. A key theme of the day: how SLAC and the National Labs are advancing AI to accelerate discovery.

Researchers used LCLS to capture the ultrafast motion of electrons inside molecules – at scales never before possible. 

The technique could improve how scientists study materials and drive advancements in high-performance technologies, such as next-generation computer chips.

Results obtained with SLAC’s X-ray laser show how tiny magnetic coils can align over a surprisingly broad timescale, inspiring new ideas for microelectronics. 

Researchers aim to refine control room tools, improve training, and pave the way for smarter cooperation between humans and machines by studying how operators think and act under pressure.

Researchers positioned lasers to compress billions of electrons together, creating a beam five times more powerful than before.

Scientists studying laser-plasma proton acceleration made an unexpected breakthrough, simultaneously resolving multiple long-standing problems although they had only aimed to address one. 

Researchers across the lab are developing AI tools to harness data and particle beams in real time and make molecular movies, speeding up the discovery process in the era of big data.