Sciencespace
World-Record Attosecond Hard-X-Ray Pulses Achieved
Researchers utilizing the European XFEL have successfully generated X-ray flashes of unprecedented brevity and record-breaking intensity. By focusing these powerful flashes into an extremely minuscule area, scientists have opened new pathways for the observation of fundamental atomic and molecular dynamics. Published in the journal Optica, this breakthrough stems from an experiment conducted in April 2026. The methodology could eventually allow researchers to actively control electron behavior during chemical reactions, transforming our approach to microscopic physics.