SLAC topics

Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS)

The Linac Coherent Light Source at SLAC, the world’s first hard X-ray free-electron laser, takes X-ray snapshots of atoms and molecules at work, revealing fundamental processes in materials, technology and living things.

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News Feature

A new experimental station in development at SLAC will expand capabilities for atomic-scale explorations in human health, biology, energy and environmental science.

Image - This artistic rendering shows planned instrumentation for a Macromolecular Femtosecond Crystallography (MFX) experimental station at SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source. MFX will expand LCLS's capacity and flexibility for biological experiments.

News Feature

Just three days after the San Francisco Giants won the 2014 World Series, SLAC helped transform their home stadium, AT&T Park, into a science...

photo - SLAC at A&T Park

News Feature

Science Wonderland at AT&T Park Features Two SLAC Exhibits

Image - “Discovery Days” at AT&T Park transforms the home of the San Francisco Giants into a science wonderland. SLAC will have two booths this year. (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

News Feature

Four-day Event Includes Presentations by Nobel Prize Winners, Other Science Luminaries

Image - SLAC Director Chi-Chang Kao discusses the lab's strategic plan during the LCLS/SSRL Annual Users' Meeting and Workshops. (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

News Feature

From 'Hollow' Atoms to Structures Inside Living Cells, SLAC's Laser Continues to Explore Science at the Extremes

This illustration shows how the first experiment at SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source X-ray laser stripped away electrons from neon atoms. (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

News Feature

Zhirong Huang, Bill Fawley and Erik Hemsing Honored at Annual Free-electron Laser Conference

Image - From left, SLAC's Erik Hemsing, Zhirong Huang and William Fawley accept awards during the 36th International Free Electron Laser Conference in Basel, Switzerland. At right is SLAC's Paul Emma, who served as this year's FEL Prize committee chairman

News Feature

Experiment Shows Potential of X-ray Laser to Study Complex, Poorly Understood Materials

Illustration of a polystrene molecular chain and Styrofoam cups, which are made of polystyrene.

News Feature

Experiment at SLAC's X-ray Laser Opens Door to Exploring Cell Interiors

Image - These micrograph images show rod-shaped bacterial cells suspended in pure water. The dark rectangular shapes inside the cells correspond to naturally occurring crystals within the cells.

Press Release

SLAC Experiment Reveals Mysterious Order in Liquid Helium

News Feature

Laser-timing Tool Works at the Speed of Electrons

Image - An illustration of the setup used to test an "attosecond" timing tool at SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source X-ray laser. The dashed line represents the arrival time of the X-ray laser.

News Feature

Photon science, a spin-off of particle physics, has returned to its roots for help developing better, faster detectors.

News Feature

SLAC-invented Etching Process Builds Custom Nanostructures for X-ray Optics

Image - This colorized scanning electron microscope image shows a top-down view of a spiral zone plate, an X-ray optical device, created using a chemical etching technique developed at SLAC. (Chieh Chang, Anne Sakdinawat)