SLAC, Menlo Park, California, USA
LBNL, Berkeley, California, USA
Five months after first lasing in April 2009, the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) began its first round of x-ray experiments. The facility rapidly attained and surpassed its design goals in terms of spectral tuning range, peak power, energy per pulse and pulse duration. There is an ongoing effort to further expand capabilities while supporting a heavily subscribed user program. The facility continues to work toward new capabilities such as multiple-pulse operation, pulse durations in the femtosecond range, and production of >16 keV photons by means of a second-harmonic “afterburner” undulator. Future upgrades will include self-seeding and polarization control. The facility is already planning to construct a major expansion, with two new undulator sources and space for four new experiment stations.
