SLAC topics

LCLS X-ray Pump Probe (XPP) RSS feed

The X-ray pump-probe (XPP) instrument predominantly uses ultrashort optical laser pulses to generate transient states of matter which are subsequently probed by hard X-ray pulses from the LCLS. The X-ray pulses help to reveal structural dynamics initiated by the laser excitation at the timescale of atomic motions in solid, liquid and gaseous specimens.

LCLS XPP Hutch

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Developed at SLAC’s LCLS, it could also yield new information from hard-to-study samples in materials science, chemistry and other fields.

Image - These charts show (a) the energy profile of two electron bunches that are separated by about 6 picoseconds, which are later stimulated to emit (b) two X-ray pulses separated by femtoseconds.
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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...

Image - In a high-temperature superconducting material known as YBCO, light from a laser causes oxygen atoms to vibrate between layers of copper oxide in a way that favors superconductivity.
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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...

This illustration shows the components in an experimental setup used in crystallography experiments at SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source X-ray laser.
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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.

The transformation of cadmium sulfide nanocrystals
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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...

Image showing laser beam energizing atoms in crystal lattic
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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...

Image - 3-D rendering of a gold nanocrystal, with are...
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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...

Image - A superthin diamond glows blue during a beam-sharing experiment at SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source X-ray laser. (Credit: Diling Zhu, SLAC)
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The way electrons move within and between molecules, transferring energy as they go, plays an important role in many chemical and biological processes, such...

Image - Tubular, color-coded molecular model.
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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...

artist's conception depicts the sudden contraction and elongation experienced by the unit cell of the ferroelectric material lead titanate as an intense pulse of violet light hits it