Free-Electron Lasers: Status and Applications

  • O'Shea, Patrick G.
  • Freund, Henry P.

  • 1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Institute for Plasma Research, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA. 2Science Applications International Corporation, McLean, VA 22102, USA.

Science 292(5523):p 1853-1858, June 8, 2001.

A free-electron laser consists of an electron beam propagating through a periodic magnetic field. Today such lasers are used for research in materials science, chemical technology, biophysical science, medical applications, surface studies, and solid-state physics. Free-electron lasers with higher average power and shorter wavelengths are under development. Future applications range from industrial processing of materials to light sources for soft and hard x-rays.

Copyright © 2001 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science
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