Tunable isolated attosecond X-ray pulses with gigawatt peak power from a free-electron laser
Abstract
The quantum-mechanical motion of electrons in molecules and solids occurs on the sub-femtosecond timescale. Consequently, the study of ultrafast electronic phenomena requires the generation of laser pulses shorter than 1 fs and of sufficient intensity to interact with their target with high probability. Probing these dynamics with atomic-site specificity requires the extension of sub-femtosecond pulses to the soft X-ray spectral region. Here, we report the generation of isolated soft X-ray attosecond pulses with an X-ray free-electron laser. Our source has a pulse energy that is millions of times larger than any other source of isolated attosecond pulses in the soft X-ray spectral region, with a peak power exceeding 100 GW. This unique combination of high intensity, high photon energy and short pulse duration enables the investigation of electron dynamics with X-ray nonlinear spectroscopy and single-particle imaging, unlocking a path towards a new era of attosecond science. The generation of ultrashort X-ray pulses with a peak power exceeding 100 GW offers new opportunities for studying electron dynamics with nonlinear spectroscopy and single-particle imaging.
Read the paper
Related studies
- The potential and limitations of neutrons, electrons and X-rays for atomic resolution microscopy of unstained biological molecules
- X-ray-Computed Tomography Contrast Agents
- Reactivity of Surface Species in Heterogeneous Catalysts Probed by In Situ X-ray Absorption Techniques
- Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies on structural transformations of porous coordination polymers
- Investigation of solid/vapor interfaces using ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
- Resonant X-Ray Scattering Studies of Charge Order in Cuprates
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.