Two studies published in Nature demonstrate how the unique capabilities of the world's first hard X-ray free-electron laser—the Linac Coherent Light Source, located at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory—could revolutionize the study of life. more...

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu dedicated the LCLS, the world's first and most powerful X-ray laser, at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. "The LCLS shows what the scientific workforce of our nation, in cooperation with our international partners, is capable of achieving," said Secretary Chu. "Pioneering research will remain critical if the U.S. is to stay a global leader when it comes to innovation and competitiveness." Stanford University President John Hennessy sp more...

The first published scientific results from the world's most powerful hard X-ray laser, located at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, show its unique ability to control the behaviors of individual electrons within simple atoms and molecules by stripping them away, one by one—in some cases creating hollow atoms. These early results—one just published in Nature, the other last week in PRL—describe in great detail how the LCLS's intense pulses of X-ray light change th more...

The DOE granted approval for SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory—home of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), the world's first hard X-ray laser—to begin planning a second X-ray laser at the laboratory. The LCLS, which began operation in April 2009, generates ultra-fast, ultra-bright pulses of X-ray laser light which are already providing new insights into the atomic world. LCLS-II will would give investigators access to new regions of the X-ray spectrum and improved control over the X-ray b more...

In early October, researchers from around the globe began traveling to SLAC to get an initial glimpse into how the X-ray laser interacts with atoms and molecules. The LCLS is unique, shining light that can resolve detail the size of atoms at ten billion times the brightness of any other manmade X-ray source. “No one has ever had access to this kind of light before," said LCLS Director Jo Stöhr. “The realization of the LCLS isn’t only a huge achievement for SLAC, but an achievement for the global more...

The world's brightest X-ray source sprang to life last week at the U.S. Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) offers researchers the first-ever glimpse of high-energy or “hard” X-ray laser light produced in a laboratory. more...

Menlo Park, CA—Persis S. Drell has been named director of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), effective immediately, Stanford University President John Hennessy announced Thursday. Drell, a professor of physics at SLAC, has held a series of sen more...