European XFEL researchers achieve record X-ray pulse intensity

Researchers using the European XFEL have achieved a world record in intensity and fluence for hard X-ray attosecond pulses. By utilizing an advanced Kirkpatrick–Baez (AKB) optical system consisting of two high-precision mirrors, the team focused X-ray flashes into an area measuring just 180 by 330 nanometres—approximately 100,000 times smaller than the cross-section of a human hair.

The pulses lasted an estimated 300 attoseconds. This breakthrough allows scientists to reach peak intensities exceeding 10^20 watts per square centimeter. Such extreme concentration of energy enables the study of highly nonlinear interactions between X-rays and matter, providing a way to observe how electrons behave within atoms and molecules. This capability may eventually allow researchers to control electron movement during chemical reactions.