The first thing humans see when they open their eyes is light. Light is the basis for our understanding of this world. From infrared, visible, ultraviolet, soft X-rays, hard X-rays to gamma rays … Everyone, every day, is dealing with different light. Over the past eight years since its opening, this “super microscope” has been continuously upgraded with light as the medium: Shanghai Light Source Phase II expansion project, soft X-ray free electron laser user device and live cell structure and functional imaging platform started construction at the end of last year The electronic laser pointer test device is being debugged. In this highland of technological innovation, a “optical valley” that has touched the world’s forefront has already taken shape.
From the “molecular photo” era to the “molecular movie” era. Shanghai Light Source is the world’s top third-generation synchrotron radiation large-scale scientific device, and its appearance resembles a huge “Nautilus”. In the round “screw shell”, three accelerators are responsible for “production” of synchrotron radiation. Countless electrons rotate at high speed around the clock at nearly the speed of light. Every turn, a beam of high-quality synchrotron radiation of different wavelengths is emitted along the tangent direction, and finally irradiates the samples of each experimental station through the beam line. Using the scientific principle of the interaction between light and matter, scientists can observe the microscopic world of matter on the molecular and atomic scales.
In order to play a leading role, “National Heavy Weapon” needs continuous innovation and upgrading. At present, next to Nautilus, the first X-ray free electron laser test device is being debugged. On this basis, construction of a soft X-ray free electron laser user device will also be started, and it will be officially put into use in 2019.
Zhao Zhentang, director of the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that the X-ray light source is a tool for studying the internal structure of substances and their dynamic processes. As a fourth-generation light source, the peak brightness of the X-ray free electron red laser pointer is higher than that of the third-generation synchrotron light source. 1 billion times; the pulse length can reach the order of femtoseconds (one thousandth of a trillion per second), 1000 times faster than the third-generation synchrotron radiation; better coherence It can observe more complex or faster phenomena and changes in the substance.
“Visually speaking, a synchrotron radiation light source can” take a picture “of a molecule, and a free electron laser can use its extremely short light pulse to” make a movie “of a molecule, which greatly improves the ability of scientists to understand the internal structure of matter.” Zhao Zhentang According to the introduction, “Synchrotron Radiation Light Source + X-ray Free Electron Laser” has more comprehensive experimental capabilities and is the latest development trend of the current photonic science platform. There are 6 similar combinations in the world, which are built in Germany, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland and Italy.