X-ray Free-Electron Lasers: Past, Present and Future

by Prof. Zhirong Huang (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

Thursday Nov 20, 2025, 3:30 PM → 4:30 PM Pacific/Honolulu

Room 112 (Watanabe Hall)

The world’s first hard X-ray Free Electron Laser (FEL), Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), started its operation 16 years ago and ushered in a new era of ultrafast X-ray science. More recently, the world’s first continuous-wave X-ray Free Electron Laser (FEL), LCLS-II, began lasing and user operation. In this talk, I will describe the physical mechanism and characteristics of X-ray FELs, present some of the most exciting results in LCLS and its recent major upgrades. Finally, I will discuss R&D directions and challenges for future opportunities.