Science frontiers with x-ray free electron laser sources

Abstract

The advent of X-rays can represent a groundbreaking advancement for innovative studies of the non-equilibrium physics, time-resolved spectroscopies and radiation scattering, unlocking the gate for a transformative X-ray tool for science. However, only the advent of fully spatial and temporal coherent X-ray sources, delivering ultrashort pulses and having the control on the light polarization and the photon frequency tunability will make the free electron lasers a revolutionary observational tool capable of bridging the critical gaps in our understanding of radiation-matter interactions. Such a light source will expand, by far beyond, our present days capability to use X-rays for imaging, structure determination, and spectroscopy, while piercing the frontier of the actual X-ray technology, detection systems and devices. In the following some preliminary examples, along with the future perspectives and applications to the study of the structure and properties of novel and exotic materials are reported.