FERMI (Trieste, Italy)

Atomic and Molecular Physics (Attophysics)

High-energy (microjoule level) attosecond waveforms are available at FERMI. We demonstrated amplitude and phase manipulation of the harmonic components of an attosecond pulse train in combination with an approach for its temporal reconstruction. The results open the way to performing attosecond time-resolved experiments with free-electron lasers. [Attosecond pulse shaping using a seeded free-electron laser, P. Kumar Maroju et al, Nature volume 578, pages 386–391 (2020)]

Secondary Sources (harmonic generation)

We implemented a technique for generating intense, femtosecond, coherent optical vortices at a free-electron laser in the extreme ultraviolet. Extreme-ultraviolet vortices may be exploited to steer the magnetic properties of nanoparticles, increase the resolution in microscopy, and gain insight into local symmetry and chirality of a material. [Light-Induced Magnetization at the Nanoscale, J. Wätzel et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. 128, 157205 – Published 13 April, 2022]

Laser Technology and Optics (Innovative lasing schemes)

We demonstrated high-gain EEHG lasing producing stable, intense, nearly fully coherent pulses at wavelengths as short as 5.9 nm (211 eV) at the FERMI FEL. Observation of stable, narrow-band, coherent emission down to 2.6 nm (~474 eV) make the technique a prime candidate for generating laser-like pulses in the X-ray spectral region, opening the door to multidimensional coherent spectroscopies at short wavelengths. [Coherent soft X-ray pulses from an echo-enabled harmonic generation free-electron laser, P. Rebernik Ribič et al, Nature Photonics, 13, pages 555–561 (2019)]

Unique among the FEL sources currently operating in the ultraviolet and soft x-ray range worldwide, FERMI has been developed to provide fully coherent ultra-short (10-100 femtosecond) pulses with a peak brightness ten billion times higher than that made available by third-generation light sources. FERMI is opening opportunities for exploring the structure and transient states of condensed matter, soft matter and low-density matter using a variety of diffraction, scattering and spectroscopy techniques.

Power Generation (inc. Renewables, clean combustion etc.)

Analysis/Characterization: Application: Improving solar panels, batteries, and cleaner fuel technologies. Technique: Use of Pump-probe spectroscopy to track ultrafast chemical reactions, improving catalytic efficiency and new materials for energy storage.

Electronics

Analysis/Characterization: Application: Developing better microchips, ultrafast memory, and 6G wireless technology.
Technique: Resonant Coherent Diffraction Imaging (R-CDI) provides nanometer-scale images of semiconductor materials. THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) studies ultrafast electronic behavior in transistors and next-gen communication systems.

Medical and Pharmaceutical

Analysis/Characterization: Application: Study the interaction of molecules with receptors. Technique: Ultrafast Transient Absorption spectrocopy helps visualize molecular interactions essential for developing new pharmaceutical drugs.

Aerospace & Defence

Analysis/Characterization/Material Develoment/Technology Transfer: Application: Developing radiation-resistant materials and high-strength alloys. Technique: High-intensity FEL irradiation simulates extreme space environments to test material durability. Ultrafast magnetization dynamics studies (using core-level magneto-optical Kerr effect, MOKE) help in designing strong, lightweight aerospace materials.

Manufacturing

Analysis/Characterization/Material Develoment/Technology Transfer: Application: Creating stronger, lighter, and more durable materials for construction, transportation, and electronics. Technique: Pump-probe experiments track how materials respond to external stimuli (i.e. extreme thermodynamic conditions), leading to improved product designs.