XFEL generates first x-ray laser light.

◆ European XFEL, the world's biggest X-ray laser has generated its first beam of light.
◆The X-ray laser light was generated from an electron beam from a superconducting linear accelerator. In a
2.1 km long accelerator tunnel, the electron pulses were strongly accelerated and prepared for the later
generation of X-ray laser light.
About XFEL
◆ The European XFEL is the largest and most powerful of the five X-ray lasers worldwide, with the ability to
generate the short pulses of hard X-ray light.
◆It is 3.4-kilometre-long and most of it is located in underground tunnels in Germany.
◆The X-ray light has a wavelength of 0.8 nanometre – about 500 times shorter than that of visible light.
Possible Benefits
◆ The achievable laser light wavelength corresponds to the size of an atom, meaning that the X-rays can be
used to make pictures and films of the nanocosmos at atomic resolution – such as of biomolecules, from
which better understanding of the basis of illnesses or the development of new therapies could be
developed.
◆ The facility will enable research into chemical processes and catalytic techniques, with the goal of improving
their efficiency or making them more environmentally friendly; materials research; or the investigation of
conditions similar to the interior of planets.