Today Russia and several other countries signed a document on construction and exploitation of European XFEL – X-ray free-electron laser.
      
      European XFEL is a unique facility for conducting research in nanotechnologies. The laser will have more features than analogues, currently being built in the United States and Japan. The facility, which is being built in the underground tunnel of largest German synchrotron centre DESY, will be 3.4 kilometers long.
      
      The facility will generate extra-bright ultra-short X-ray pulses with properties, similar to laser radiation. These pulses will allow “seeing” all stages of molecular and atomic processes, which take place in various materials and biological molecules. The result will be better understanding of matter’s nature and building revolutionary materials with given properties.
      
      The European XFEL will cost 1 billion Euro, one forth of which will be supplied by Russia.
      
      Source: Science News