Arvinder Sandhu, Arizona State University
When
Where
Title: Building a Compact X-ray Free Electron Laser
Abstract: Since their discovery in 1895 by Roentgen, x-ray applications in the form diffraction, imaging, and spectroscopy has fueled numerous scientific and technical advances, leading to 19 Nobel prizes for x-ray based discoveries. However, the x-ray sources themselves evolved very little from the original tube design, until a revolutionary X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) was demonstrated at SLAC in 2009. Now there few more XFELs in the world, but the huge cost (Billions $) and their large footprint (kms long tunnels) remains a significant hurdle in accessibility. I will talk about our work on miniaturizing the electron accelerators and combining them with powerful lasers to make a compact x-ray machine. In this inverse Compton scattering based scheme, the nano patterning of electrons will be used to achieve the coherent laser operation. This compact XFEL is much more economical, and can fit in a university lab, hospital, or a fabrication facility, making it accessible to researchers worldwide. I will discuss initial results obtained from the ASU compact x-ray source in the determination of protein structures and in capturing transient changes in materials. CXFEL approach will have a transformative impact on biological, medical, semiconductor imaging, and in probing electronic and structural dynamics in materials and molecules.
3:00 PM in PAS 201 / Zoom https://arizona.zoom.us/j/86395646910
Refreshments in PAS 236, 2:30PM