A team of US scientists has produced the fastest X-ray pulses ever generated by a compact X-ray instrument and therefore captured ultrafast changes in the atomic structure of a quantum material.Led by Arvinder Sandhu, PhD, a physics professor at Arizona State University (ASU), and the director of the CXFEL lab, the research was carried out at the site’s X-Beams facility. There, the team used ultrafast X-ray pulses to observe how atoms and electrons rearrange after being exposed to heat.The experiments mark the first time the team has tracked quantum changes using the compact X-ray instrument. Sandhu believes the technology could lead to new discoveries in semiconductors, renewable energy, medicine, as well as quantum computing. He added that the goal is to build a compact X-ray facility that could change the way scientists study proteins, take images, and control quantum processes. “This result proves to the scientific community that we are officially open to conduct research experiments to advance our knowledge and understanding,” Sandhu pointed out. Capturing atoms in motionFor their experiments, the researchers used a compact X-ray light source (CXLS), the first of two instruments planned for the university’s X-ray facility. It produces extremely short X-ray pulses that the team used to examine structural changes occurring in incredibly brief periods.These changes can happen in femtoseconds. For reference, one femtosecond is equal to a one quadrillionth of a second. The team selected a quantum material called 1T-tantalum disulfide (TaS2), which has unusual electronic properties. It is considered a promising candidate for electronics, like memory devices, sensors, and quantum computing technologies.A series of quadrupole magnets helps focus an electron beam used to generate ultrafast X-rays to perform the experiments.Credit: Arizona State University (ASU)During the tests, the team exposed the material to an 800-nanometer (nm) near-infrared laser pulse, and caused its atoms and electrons to become excited. They then used ultrafast X-ray pulses to examine how the material’s internal structure changed.Since timing was essential, the team also synchronized the infrared laser and X-ray pulses to within one nanosecond of each other. This gave them time to observe the changes before the material returned to normal.A quantum research boostThe results showed that the laser pulse triggered changes in the material’s charge density waves, which are patterns formed by the arrangement of electrons. As the material changed state, the team watched the smaller regions merge into larger, more organized structures.Samuel Teitelbaum, PhD, an assistant professor of physics at ASU, explained the measurements. “The X-ray measurements tracked the birth and growth of the new incommensurate phase, watching smaller microscopic domains merge into larger, coherent regions over a timeframe ranging from a few picoseconds to several nanoseconds,” he added.Arvinder Sandhu, PhD, a physics professor at ASU, and the director of CXFEL lab.Credit: Andy DeLisle / ASUThese rapid changes could reveal how advanced materials respond to heat stress, according to the researchers. The achievement is a major milestone for ASU’s X-Beams facility, which was built with contributions from about 80 researchers. It is now available to other researchers who intend to study different materials and biological structures.The team also plans to use the technology to study proteins involved in human diseases and renewable energy applications. “Our next objective is to study the time-resolved dynamics in protein crystals,” Sandhu concluded in a press release.The ASU X-Beams facility will also house a second, faster X-ray instrument called CXFEL, which is expected to be completed in 2028. It could open new possibilities for research in science, industry, and medicine.