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SLAC is the world’s leading center for developing “ultrafast” X-ray, laser and electron beams that allow us to see atoms and molecules moving in just millionths of a billionth of a second. We can even create stop-action movies of these tiny events.

DOE explains...Ultrafast science

This illustration shows how the first experiment at SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source X-ray laser stripped away electrons from neon atoms. (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

News Feature

The results, which show that ultrafast atomic motions are the first step in forming a magnetic state, could lead to faster and more efficient...

Charge transfer
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The results of a new scientific study reveal how photosynthetic reaction centers adapt to make light-driven reactions more efficient.

photosynthesis header
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A better understanding of how this happens could help researchers hone future electronic measurements and offer insights into how X-rays interact with matter on...

Image - Artist's rendering of two laser beams striking sample.
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The initiative will give scientists more access to powerful lasers at universities and labs.

LaserNetUS
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The early-career award honors a promising leader in X-ray free-electron laser research.

elisa
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The annual conference for scientists who conduct research at SLAC’s light sources engaged more than 1,700 researchers in talks, workshops and discussions.

2020 SSRL/LCLS Users' Meeting
Press Release

FACET-II will pave the way for a future generation of particle colliders and powerful light sources, opening avenues in high-energy physics, medicine, and materials...

FACET-II

Cryan is an investigator with the Stanford PULSE Institute at SLAC, while Marsden is an associate professor of pediatrics and of bioengineering at Stanford.

Portrait of James Cryan and Alison Marsden
News Brief

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers recognizes his contributions to developing electron beams that power unique ‘electron cameras’ and could advance X-ray lasers.

Xijie Wang
News Brief

This leap in capability will allow scientists to investigate quantum and chemical systems more directly than ever before.

SXU
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Researchers demonstrate a new ability to drive and track electronic motion, which is crucial to understanding the role of electrons in chemical processes and...

attoseconds
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The technique could improve the efficiency of data collection and pave the way for new kinds of experiments.

undulatorhall