Speaker
Description
X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) are the brightest sources of x-rays available, with a peak brightness that
surpasses table-top harmonic sources and synchrotron radiation facilities by many orders of magnitude.
A defining feature of XFELs is their inherent flexibility, which enables the control of the spectral, spatial, and
temporal properties of the radiation and tailoring of the pulse properties to specific scientific experiments. Since
the early days of LCLS, a vibrant XFEL research and development program has radically changed the way we
do science with XFELs, developing new capabilities such as attosecond pump/probe methods, Terawatt pulses
and seeding and self-seeding techniques.
In my talk I will give an overview of XFEL advances in the last decade and discuss ongoing and future R&D:
from high-brightness cavity-based XFELs to wave-form controlled attosecond pulses.