SwissFEL
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| SwissFEL | |
|---|---|
| Name | SwissFEL |
| Location | Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland |
| Established | 2018 |
| Type | X-ray free-electron laser |
| Operators | Paul Scherrer Institute |
SwissFEL SwissFEL is a hard X-ray free-electron laser facility at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Villigen, Switzerland, designed for ultrafast, high-brightness X-ray pulses. It serves users from ETH Zurich, EPFL, CERN, University of Zurich, and international institutions such as Max Planck Society, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and DESY for experiments in structural dynamics, materials science, chemistry, and biology. The facility complements synchrotron sources like SLS and collaborates with projects including European XFEL and LCLS-II.
Overview
SwissFEL produces femtosecond X-ray pulses using a linear accelerator and undulator array, enabling time-resolved studies of atomic-scale processes relevant to Protein Data Bank, Human Genome Project-inspired biology, and energy research tied to ITER, European Space Agency, and National Renewable Energy Laboratory interests. Its user program attracts researchers from Harvard University, MIT, Stanford University, University of Cambridge, and University of Oxford, integrating techniques developed at XFELs such as serial femtosecond crystallography pioneered at LCLS and European XFEL. SwissFEL's capabilities complement instrumentation at labs like Brookhaven National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory.
History and Development
The project originated from strategic planning at the Paul Scherrer Institute and funding decisions involving the Swiss Confederation, State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, and cantonal partners. Conceptual designs referenced work at SLAC, DESY, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and drew on accelerator physics advances by groups at CERN and Max Planck Society. Key milestones included approval by the Swiss Federal Council, construction near the Villigen campus, commissioning alongside personnel experienced from SLS and collaborations with EPFL and ETH Zurich. International advisory panels included scientists from Caltech, Imperial College London, Karolinska Institutet, and Riken.
Facility and Beamlines
SwissFEL's campus houses a linear accelerator complex, undulator halls, experimental stations, and support laboratories adjacent to PSI facilities like the SLS and Swiss Light Source. Beamlines are designed for broad applications, with endstations equipped for serial crystallography used by investigators from Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, and Columbia University. Infrastructure supports cryo-EM integration with groups from MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology and time-resolved spectroscopy developed with teams at University of Chicago and ETH Zurich. Detector and optics development engaged vendors and labs including DESY, Oxford University, Bruker, and DECTRIS.
Technical Specifications
SwissFEL employs an electron injector, superconducting and normal-conducting RF units, and undulator arrays producing photon energies in the hard X-ray range comparable to LCLS and European XFEL. The linac design drew on technologies from CERN test facilities, INFN collaborations, and expertise at SLAC. Beam parameters—emittance control, bunch compression, and timing jitter—were optimized using diagnostics developed with partners from FERMILAB, ILL, and DESY. Photon pulse durations reach femtoseconds enabling pump–probe experiments similar to those at XFELs; repetition rates and coherence properties support studies akin to APS capabilities. Control systems integrate software frameworks used at ITER testbeds and machine learning tools developed by groups at ETH Zurich and EPFL.
Scientific Applications and Experiments
SwissFEL enables experiments in structural biology, condensed matter physics, chemistry, and materials under extreme conditions. Users pursue serial femtosecond crystallography of proteins related to targets studied in Protein Data Bank deposits and drug discovery efforts involving teams at Novartis and Roche. Time-resolved studies examine phase transitions in materials of interest to Toyota, BASF, and Siemens, and ultrafast magnetism experiments coordinate with researchers from Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and University of Amsterdam. Chemical dynamics experiments build on methods from Stanford and Caltech groups, while geoscience and high-pressure research aligns with work at European Synchrotron Radiation Facility and Diamond Light Source.
Operations and Collaborations
SwissFEL is operated by the Paul Scherrer Institute with governance and peer review involving committees affiliated with SNSF, European Research Council, and international user organizations connected to IUCr and International Union of Pure and Applied Physics. Collaborative research consortia include partnerships with ETH Zurich, EPFL, Max Planck Society, CERN, DESY, SLAC, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and private-sector collaborations with Roche, Novartis, and ABB. Training and outreach programs engage students and postdocs from University of Basel, University of Bern, University of Lausanne, and international exchange with Princeton University and University of Tokyo. Ongoing upgrades draw on prototype work at LCLS-II, European XFEL, and diagnostics developed with Fermilab and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.