Soft X-Ray Lasers and Their Applications

• DOI: 10.1126/science.2321016
• Publication Date: 2006-10-05T22:10:14Z
• Authors: S. Suckewer; C. H. Skinner
• Keywords: Microscopy; Lasers; X-Rays; 0103 physical sciences; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Humans; 01 natural sciences; HeLa Cells

The emerging technology of soft x-ray lasers has novel applications to microscopy, lithography, and other fields. This article describes the status of soft x-ray laser research with the aim of bringing the rapid developments in this field to the attention of potential users in other disciplines. The different techniques for generating a population inversion and producing a soft x-ray laser are reviewed. The status of current research in the field and the near-term prospects are described. It is expected that the range of potential applications of soft x-ray lasers will increase as their performance improves. Work aimed at increasing the output power and progressing to shorter wavelengths with these devices is also reviewed.