Eur. Phys. J. D 37, 297-303 (2006)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2005-00308-1

First operation of a free-electron laser generating GW power radiation at 32 nm wavelength

¹ Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22603 Hamburg, Germany
² Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Platanenallee 6, 15738 Zeuthen, Germany
³ Universität Hamburg, Inst. f. Experimentalphysik, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
⁴ Bayerische Julius-Maximilians Universität, Inst. f. Theor. Physik u. Astrophysik, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
⁵ Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, 141980 Dubna, Moscow Region, Russia
⁶ INFN-LNF, via E. Fermi 40, 00044 Frascati, Italy
⁷ INFN-Roma2, via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00100 Roma, Italy
⁸ Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, MS 306, P.O.Box 500, Batavia, IL 60510, USA
⁹ Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
¹⁰ Laboratoire de l'Accélérateur Linéaire, IN2P3-CNRS, Université de Paris-Sud, B.P. 34, 91898 Orsay, France
¹¹ Center for the Advancement of Natural Discoveries using Light Emission CANDLE, Acharyan 31, 375040 Yerevan, Armenia
¹² BESSY GmbH, Albert-Einstein-Str. 15, 12489 Berlin, Germany
¹³ CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
¹⁴ INFN Milano-LASA, via Fratelli Cervi 201,l 20090 Segrate (MI), Italy
¹⁵ Technische Universität Darmstadt, FB 18, Institut TEMF, Schlossgartenstr. 8, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany
¹⁶ INFM, Dept. of Information Engineering, University of Padova, via Gradenigo 6/A, 35131 Padova, Italy
¹⁷ Max-Born-Institute, Max-Born-Str. 2a, 12489 Berlin, Germany
¹⁸ Institute for Nuclear Researches and Nuclear Energy, Tzarigradsko Shaussee Boulevard 72, 1784 Sofia, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: ^a joerg.rossbach@desy.de

Received: 1 July 2005
Published online: 16 November 2005

Abstract

Many scientific disciplines ranging from physics, chemistry and biology to material sciences, geophysics and medical diagnostics need a powerful X-ray source with pulse lengths in the femtosecond range [1-4]. This would allow, for example, time-resolved observation of chemical reactions with atomic resolution. Such radiation of extreme intensity, and tunable over a wide range of wavelengths, can be accomplished using high-gain free-electron lasers (FEL) [5-10]. Here we present results of the first successful operation of an FEL at a wavelength of 32 nm, with ultra-short pulses (25 fs FWHM), a peak power at the Gigawatt level, and a high degree of transverse and longitudinal coherence. The experimental data are in full agreement with theory. This is the shortest wavelength achieved with an FEL to date and an important milestone towards a user facility designed for wavelengths down to 6 nm. With a peak brilliance exceeding the state-of-the-art of synchrotron radiation sources [4] by seven orders of magnitude, this device opens a new field of experiments, and it paves the way towards sources with even shorter wavelengths, such as the Linac Coherent Light Source [3] at Stanford, USA, and the European X-ray Free Electron Laser Facility [4] in Hamburg, Germany.