Physics (Internal)

Student Seminar Series

This event is part of the Graduate Student Council Events.

Introduction to Synchrotron Radiation and Coherent X-ray Imaging & Spectroscopy

Back in the 1950s, accelerator-based synchrotron light was considered nuisance because it caused the accelerated particles to lose energy. However, starting as a parasitic operation on synchrotron colliders, the synchrotron X-ray radiation has enabled us to explore a plethora of materials and do fundamental science research over the last 70 years. In this brief introductory talk, we will learn the physics of how X-rays are generated from electron storage rings and are fine-tuned to achieve the best possible brilliance and coherence. Even though lasers were invented and applied in the 1960s, coherent X-rays couldn't be readily put to use until in the early 1990s. Unlike X-rays generated in the early days, coherent X-rays further enable us to study the fluctuations from the averaged kinetics throughout a wide range of length-scales. We will briefly talk about the state-of-the-art coherent X-ray imaging and spectroscopy as time permits.