First experiments completed at Hamburg's VUV-FEL

The VUV-FEL (free-electron laser) at DESY in Hamburg is the world's first and, until 2009, the only source of intense laser radiation in the ultraviolet and the soft X-ray range. Since the official start in August 2005, a total of 14 research groups working on cluster physics, solid-state physics, plasma research and biology have carried out the first experiments. The 300 m long facility generated laser flashes with a wavelength of 32 nm for the first time in January 2005, which is the shortest wavelength ever achieved with a free-electron laser. The light flashes are shorter than 50 femto seconds, and this allows scientists to trace various processes on extremely short time scales by taking time-resolved "snapshots" of the reaction process. For more information, visit http://www.xfel.net/en/index.html