Beam of X-ray light is world’s shortest
The shortest ever beam of X-ray light has been measured by researchers at RIKEN and the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute.
The light was created using a new X-ray free electron laser facility called SACLA. It measured a record breaking 1.2 Angstroms, beating the previous record of 1.5 Angstroms set in 2009.
The researchers believe SACLA has the capacity to deliver radiation 1billion times brighter and with pulses 1000 times shorter than other existing X-ray sources. They claim it provides much shorter wavelengths and higher intensities than other devices.
Offering promise in the fields of medicine, new drug discovery and nanotechnology, the technology could also enable researchers to directly observe and manipulate objects on an 'unrivalled' scale.
