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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.

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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)
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The results have important implications for today’s TV and display screens and for future technologies where light takes the place of electrons and fluids.

Illustration of three quantum dot nanocrystals showing atomic-level changes when they are hit with laser light
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This new understanding could aid the development of more efficient clean energy sources.

electron transfer
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A better understanding of the failure process will help researchers design new materials that can better withstand intense events such as high-velocity impacts.

material failure
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Scientists get dramatically better resolution at X-ray free-electron lasers with a new technique.

timingjitter
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Just as pressing a guitar string produces a higher pitch, sending laser light through a material can shift it to higher energies and higher...

High harmonic generation in a topological insulator.
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These fleeting disruptions, seen for the first time in lead hybrid perovskites, may help explain why these materials are exceptionally good at turning sunlight...

An illustration shows polarons as bubbles of distortion in a perovskite lattice
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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