Scientists squeeze record-breaking X-ray power into an incredibly tiny spot
Scientists have created record-breaking X-ray flashes lasting just 300 attoseconds, concentrating enormous power into an incredibly tiny spot. The breakthrough could unlock a new way to observe electrons in action and potentially control the ultrafast processes that drive chemical reactions.
Key points
- Researchers produced hard X-ray flashes lasting about 300 attoseconds, setting a record for intensity and fluence.
- The beam was focused to a spot of 180 by 330 nanometers using two precise mirrors.
- The team confirmed peak intensities above 10^20 watts per square centimeter using a thin copper sheet.
Scientists using the European XFEL have set a world record for hard X-ray pulses, producing flashes that last about 300 attoseconds and concentrating them into a spot roughly 100,000 times smaller than the cross-section of a human hair. The experiment took place in April 2026, and the results were published in the journal Optica.
The team focused the beam to a spot measuring 180 by 330 nanometers using an advanced Kirkpatrick-Baez (AKB) system, which consists of two highly precise mirrors that focus the X-rays vertically and horizontally. Each pulse underwent four reflections in total.
Confirming the record intensity
To verify the pulses' power, the researchers directed them at a thin copper sheet. The test showed peak intensities exceeding 10^20 watts per square centimeter, and the team observed amplified spontaneous emission, in which emitted X-ray light builds up in the forward direction.
The signal also showed saturation, leveling off at higher pulse energies, which the researchers said confirmed the calculated record intensity.
This is a world record in intensity and fluence for a hard-X-ray attosecond pulse
— Ichiro Inoue
Plans for a second mirror system
The AKB mirror system used in the experiment was transported from Japan. European XFEL is preparing to receive its own system, expected in early 2027, funded through a collaboration with the University of Hamburg and supported by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).
Once installed, scientists using the MID instrument are expected to gain access to the brief, intense flashes for studying electron behavior.
