Science Driven Requirements for Seeded Soft X-ray Free Electron Lasers

Program Description

Starting from the archetypal FERMI externally seeded FEL, recent theoretical and experimental progress has shown the possibility of producing fully coherent, variable polarization and tunable, soft-­‐X-­‐ray, ultra-­‐short pulses at high repetition rate. 

This  ultimate  achievement  will  unlock  the  gate  for  performing  X-­‐ray-­‐based experiments  that  are  qualitatively  different  from  those  available  at  any  current or planned X-­‐ray source.

Here  we  will  review  the  experiments  and  the  ideas  that  represent  the  science frontier   in   soft   X-­‐ray,   time-­‐resolved   spectroscopy,   coherent   imaging   and scattering experiments.

These studies will lead to an understanding of fundamental dynamics, occurring on  the  ultrafast  time  and  nanometer spatial  scales,  needed for  addressing a broad range of science essential for resolving our complex and long-­‐term energy challenges,  environmentally  urgent  questions  and  demanding  problems  in bioscience and novel materials.