The US is gearing up for a major overhaul of the world’s most powerful X-ray laser, the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), located at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The US Department of Energy has announced that this update will ramp up the energy of X-ray radiation by 3000 times, enabling scientists to delve deeper into atomic-level processes in the fields of biology, materials science, and quantum physics.
Launched in 2009, LCLS made history as the first X-ray laser to produce intense, high-energy X-ray radiation using free electrons. In 2023, the facility underwent a prior upgrade known as LCLS-II, introducing superconducting accelerator technology and magnetic structures called undulators to produce both soft and hard X-rays. This enhancement boosted the frequency of X-ray pulses to one million per second.
The US Department of Energy has given the green light for a new upgrade – LCLS-II-HE (High Energy), set to double the energy of the electron beam from the superconducting accelerator, consequently doubling the energy of X-rays as well.
The upcoming LCLS-I-HE upgrade will involve the installation of 23 new cryomodules, each housing eight superconducting radio frequency cavities. Developed in collaboration with national laboratories Fermi and Jefferson, these modules are slated for installation by 2026.
A prototype of the first module, crafted from spare parts from the LCLS-II project, has already been manufactured and delivered to the facility. Once the new equipment is in place, LCLS-II-HE is expected to achieve high repetition rates for hard X-ray radiation – a first for the facility.
The installation is projected to wrap up by 2027, although final touches could extend to 2030. Following the conclusion of the primary upgrades, early scientific experiments involving the wider scientific community will kick off. However, the modernization efforts do not signal the cessation of LCLS-II’s operations – the regular accelerator will continue to function, providing ongoing research opportunities.
The modernization of LCLS-I-HE promises a significant boost in the precision and sensitivity of studying atomic motions in materials, chemical systems, and biological structures. This advancement is expected to address crucial scientific challenges, unveiling new frontiers in understanding atomic-level processes.