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Starting from the archetypal FERMI externally seeded FEL, recent theoretical and experimental progress has shown the possibility of producing fully coherent, variable polarization and tunable, soft-X-ray, ultra-short pulses at high repetition rate. This ultimate achievement will unlock the gate for performing X-ray-based experiments that are qualitatively different from those available at any current or planned X-ray source. Here we will review the experiments and the ideas that represent the science frontier in soft X-ray, time-resolved spectroscopy, coherent imaging and scattering experiments. These studies will lead to an understanding of fundamental dynamics, occurring on the ultrafast time and nanometer spatial scales, needed for addressing a broad range of science essential for resolving our complex and long-term energy challenges, environmentally urgent questions and demanding problems in bioscience and novel materials.

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Fulvio Parmigiani, University of Trieste
Seminar room of the Institute of Physics II
Contact: Paul H.M. van Loosdrecht