Background X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) produce x-ray pulses with durations shorter than 100 femtoseconds. Each pulse contains enough photons to produce a diffraction pattern from a nanocrystal in a single shot, while avoiding most effects of radiation damage. XFELs are increasing in prevalence in a range of applications due to their capacity...

Background Electron accelerators are used in a number of applications, from medical imaging by x-ray production, to gamma-ray production for medical applications. Integrating high-power lasers and electron beams can potentially improve the performance of electron accelerators, make compact x-ray sources, and potentially create new kinds of light. However,...