X-ray free-electron laser sets new record for shortest high-energy pulses
Researchers at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have successfully measured the shortest high-energy X-ray pulses ever recorded, lasting between 100 and 400 attoseconds. This breakthrough allows scientists to observe electronic motion at atomic scales with unprecedented precision.
Why it matters
This technical achievement enables new research capabilities in physics and chemistry, potentially leading to discoveries in material science and quantum mechanics.
by Erin Woodward, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
edited by Gaby Clark , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add to Preferred Sources Schematics of the experiment. Credit: Nature Photonics (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41566-026-02026-7 Researchers at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at the U.S. Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have measured the shortest high-energy X-ray pulses ever recorded at an X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL). The pulses had photon energies of about 9 kiloelectronvolts (keV) and clocked in at durations of 100 to 400 attoseconds—mere billionths of a billionth of a second. The results are published in Nature Photonics .
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