Attosecond X-ray Pulses Reveal Dancing Electrons Look inside molecules with the world’s most powerful free electron laser

An attosecond is a billionth of a billionth of a second. There are more attoseconds in a second than there are seconds in the current age of the universe.

But it is now possible to produce X-ray pulses whose time scales can be measured in attoseconds. Pulses this short give scientists the ability to take snapshots of subatomic particles in the wild.

Earlier this year, scientists made headlines by using this method to image electrons moving in liquid water. As the technology continues to advance, scientists may be able to use it for watching electrons move in many other kinds of molecules—boosting chemistry, biology, and any other scientific fields that study how molecules behave.

The tool of choice is an X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) such as the recently upgraded Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in California, which violently undulates electrons to make them emit intense X-ray beams. Pack these beams into short enough pulses, and you have your imaging medium.

Pulses this short give scientists the ability to take snapshots of subatomic particles in the wild.

To use an FEL for electron watching, scientists typically use a technique called the pump-probe method. Scientists first “pump” a target by exciting it with one pulse, then “probe” it with a second pulse that allows scientists to observe the target. If the second pulse arrives within a short enough duration, scientists can watch subatomic particles in their quantum glory with plenty of time to spare before the X-rays can damage the target.

SOURCE: RAHUL RAO


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