“This upgrade to the most powerful X-ray laser in existence keeps the United States at the forefront of X-ray science, providing a window into how our world works at the atomic level. “The light from SLAC’s LCLS-II will illuminate the smallest and fastest phenomena in the universe and lead to big discoveries in disciplines ranging from human health to quantum materials science,” said U.S. “It shows that all the different elements of LCLS-II are working in harmony to produce X-ray laser light in an entirely new mode of operation.” “This achievement marks the culmination of over a decade of work,” said LCLS-II Project Director Greg Hays.

Scientists will be able to examine the details of quantum materials with unprecedented resolution to drive new forms of computing and communications reveal unpredictable and fleeting chemical events to teach us how to create more sustainable industries and clean energy technologies study how biological molecules carry out life’s functions to develop new types of pharmaceuticals and study the world on the fastest timescales to open up entirely new fields of scientific investigation. The upgrade, called LCLS-II, creates unparalleled capabilities that will usher in a new era in research with X-rays. The newly upgraded Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory successfully produced its first X-rays, and researchers around the world are already lined up to kick off an ambitious science program.

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