Ultrafast science

The facility, LCLS-II, will soon sharpen our view of how nature works on ultrasmall, ultrafast scales, impacting everything from quantum devices to clean energy.

Researchers discover that a spot of molecular glue and a timely twist help a bacterial enzyme convert carbon dioxide into carbon compounds 20 times faster than plant enzymes do during photosynthesis. The results stand to accelerate progress toward converting carbon...

The leaders of SLAC's Technology Innovation Directorate discuss how their group supports the lab's most innovative projects.

A laser compressing an aluminum crystal provides a clearer view of a material’s plastic deformation, potentially leading to the design of stronger nuclear fusion materials and spacecraft shields.

Researchers mimicked these extreme impacts in the lab and discovered new details about how they transform minerals in Earth’s crust.

X-ray laser experiments show that intense light distorts the structure of a thermoelectric material in a unique way, opening a new avenue for controlling the properties of materials.

Less than a millionth of a billionth of a second long, attosecond X-ray pulses allow researchers to peer deep inside molecules and follow electrons as they zip around and ultimately initiate chemical reactions.

The ePix series of detectors is designed to keep pace with ever more demanding experiments at SLAC and elsewhere.

Through her work with this nationwide program, Curry plans to make high-power laser facilities more accessible to researchers.

A better understanding of this process could inform the next generation of artificial photosynthetic systems that produce clean and renewable energy.