European X-ray free-electron laser

Coordinates: 53.589N 9.829E

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The European X-ray free-electron laser (European XFEL) is an X-

ray research laser facility commissioned during 2017. The first laser European X-Ray Fr ee-
pulses were produced in May 2017[1][2] and the facility started user Electron Laser GmbH
operation in September 2017.[3] The international project with 11
participating countries[4] (Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy,
Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United
Kingdom[5]) is located in the German federal states of Hamburg and
Schleswig-Holstein.[6] A free-electron laser generates high-intensity
Type Fundamental research
electromagnetic radiation by accelerating electrons to relativistic speeds
and directing them through special magnetic structures. The European Headquarters Hamburg
XFEL is constructed such that the electrons produce X-ray light in Website www.xfel.eu
synchronisation, resulting in high-intensity X-ray pulses with the
properties of laser light and at intensities much brighter than those
produced by conventional synchrotron light sources.

Contents
1 Location
2 Accelerator
3 Laser
4 Research
5 History
6 References All member nations of the European
7 External links XFEL project are highlighted in dark
purple.

Location
The 3.4-kilometre (2.1 mi) long tunnel for the European XFEL housing the superconducting linear accelerator
and photon beamlines runs 6 to 38 m (20 to 125 ft) underground from the site of the DESY research center in
Hamburg to the town of Schenefeld in Schleswig-Holstein, where the experimental stations, laboratories and
administrative buildings are located.[7]

Accelerator
Electrons are accelerated to an energy of up to 17.5 GeV by a 2.1 km (1.3 mi) long linear accelerator with
superconducting RF-cavities.[7] The use of superconducting acceleration elements developed at DESY allows
up to 27,000 repetitions per second, significantly more than other X-ray lasers in the U.S. and Japan can
achieve.[8] The electrons are then introduced into the magnetic fields of special arrays of magnets called
undulators, where they follow curved trajectories resulting in the emission of X-rays whose wavelength is in
the range of 0.05 to 4.7 nm.[7]

Laser
The X-ray light is generated by self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE), where electrons interact with the
radiation that they or their neighbours emit. The result is spontaneous emission of tightly bunched packages of
radiation that are amplified like laser light. The peak brilliance of the European XFEL is billions of times

higher than that of conventional X-ray light sources, while the average brilliance is 10,000 times higher.[7] The
higher than that of conventional X-ray light sources, while the average brilliance is 10,000 times higher.[7] The
higher electron energy allows the production of shorter wavelengths.[8] The duration of the light pulses can be
less than 100 femtoseconds.[7]

Research
The short laser pulses make it possible to measure chemical reactions that are too rapid to be captured by other
methods. The wavelength of the X-ray laser may be varied from 0.05 to 4.7 nm, enabling measurements at the
atomic length scale.[7]

Initially, one photon beamline with two experimental stations can be used.[7] Later this will be upgraded to five
photon beamlines and a total of ten experimental stations.[9]

The experimental beamlines enable unique scientific experiments using the high intensity, coherence and time
structure of the new source to be conducted in a variety of disciplines spanning physics, chemistry, materials
science, biology and nanotechnology.[10]

History
The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research granted
permission to build the facility on 5 June 2007 at a cost of 850 million,
under the provision that it should be financed as a European project.[11]
The European XFEL GmbH that built and operates the facility was
founded in 2009.[12] Civil construction of the facility began on 8
January 2009.[13] Construction of the tunnels was completed in summer
2012,[14] and all underground construction was completed the following
year.[15] The first beams were accelerated in April 2017, and the first X-
ray beams were produced in May 2017.[1][2] XFEL was inaugurated in Accelerator modules during construction
September 2017.[3] The overall cost for the construction and in 2015
commissioning of the facility is as of 2017 estimated at 1.22 billion
(price levels of 2005).[7]

References

1. "World's biggest ever X-ray laser shines its first light" (http://news.sky.com/story/worlds-biggest-ever-x-r
ay-laser-shines-its-first-light-10862791). 2017-05-04. Retrieved 2017-05-04.
2. "Grter Rntgenlaser der Welt erzeugt erstes Laserlicht" (https://www.desy.de/aktuelles/news_suche/ind
ex_ger.html?openDirectAnchor=1222) (in German). 2017-05-04. Retrieved 2017-05-04.
3. "International X-ray laser European XFEL inaugurated" (https://www.xfel.eu/news_and_events/news/ind
ex_eng.html?openDirectAnchor=1323&two_columns=0). 2017-09-01. Retrieved 2017-09-02.
4. "European XFEL - Organization - Company - Shareholders" (https://www.xfel.eu/organization/partner_c
ountries/index_eng.html). www.xfel.eu. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
5. Massimo Altarelli, ed. (2014). Annual Report of 2014 (https://www.xfel.eu/sites/sites_custom/site_xfel/c
ontent/e35178/e56171/e56388/xfel_file56394/European_XFEL_Annual_Report_14_eng.pdf) (PDF).
European X-ray Free-Electron Laser Facility Gmbh. p. 10.
6. "DESY's European XFEL project group" (http://xfel.desy.de/). Retrieved 2007-12-20.
7. "European XFEL facts & figures" (https://www.xfel.eu/facility/overview/facts_amp_figures/index_eng.ht
ml). Retrieved 2017-09-02.
8. "European XFEL in comparison" (http://www.xfel.eu/overview/in_comparison/). Retrieved 2017-05-04.
9. "How it works" (https://www.xfel.eu/facility/overview/how_it_works/index_eng.html). Retrieved
2017-09-04.
10. "Science" (https://www.xfel.eu/science/index_eng.html). Retrieved 2017-09-04.
 11. "Launch of the European XFEL" (http://hasylab.desy.de/news__events/announcements/archive/archive_o
f_2007/launch_of_the_european_xfel_project_june_5_2007/index_eng.html).
12. European XFEL news: "HRB 111165: The European XFEL GmbH has been founded!" (http://www.xfel.
eu/news/2009/foundation_of_company/)
13. European XFEL news: "Construction news: Schedule for civil engineering works" (http://www.xfel.eu/ne
ws/2009/schedule_for_civil_engineering_works/)
14. European XFEL news: "Tunnel construction completed" (http://www.xfel.eu/news/2012/tunnel_construct
ion_completed/)
15. European XFEL news: "European XFEL underground construction completed" (https://www.xfel.eu/new
s/2013/european_xfel_underground_construction_completed/)

External links
European XFEL website
Interactive Map

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This page was last edited on 8 September 2017, at 23:25.

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