The next generation UK X-ray Free-Electron Laser (XFEL)

The UK's next generation X-ray free-electron laser will help answer big science and some of most pressing questions.
What is an XFEL? And why is it important to science? Find out more below and keep up to date with the project.
Read more here: xfel.ac.uk

[@europhile2658]

How does this relate to the Diamond light source? A follow on (next generation) or complementary? You should build it though!

[@SciTechUK]

XFELs are able to produce much more intense coherent pulses, with more energy and on a shorter timescale than a Synchrotron (like Diamond), this allows us to look into materials and processes on the attosecond timescale. Something that cannot be done at a Synchrotron. So in this regard they are the next generation of these machines. However because the science that can be done on XFELs is very different than on a Synchrotron, they are actually complementary machines, which would operate at the same time.