Dalian Coherent Light Source (DCLS) is a VUV free electron laser user facility run by Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP), CAS. In the past half century, research at DICP has closely reflected the economic and scientific needs of China. The Institute has built up an impressive portfolio of achievements, principally in the fields of catalysis, chemical engineering, molecular reaction dynamics, organic synthesis, and chromatography for modern analytic chemistry and biotechnology. These achievements have greatly contributed to the economic and technological development of China. DICP continues focusing on the energy-related research, for example, sustainable energy research and coordinates the development of environment optimization, biotechnology and advanced material in a multidisciplinary atmosphere by strengthening technological integration and innovation. DICP aims to become a leading research institute in the field of basic energy science in the world.
Today energy revolution has been mentioned frequently not only from China but also from the whole world. Energy industrial reforming fully depends on the fundamental research and technique advance. The complexity of energy process has pushed scientific research from macroscopic world into the atomic and molecular levels, from studies of physical systems at static condition to ultrafast dynamics processes, and from investigations at simple experimental conditions to more complex and real environment. In the last few decades, the breakthrough of free electron laser (FEL) techniques has provided scientists essential tools to push the frontiers of sciences, to make new scientific discoveries and to help advancing key technologies. FEL with high brightness, ultrafast laser pulses in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelength region is an ideal light source for excitation of valence electrons and detection of molecule and radicals with very high efficiency, which are both important in the energy basic research.
Considering the great features and application above, during 2012-2017, DCLS, funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China, has been developed jointly by DICP and Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, CAS. DCLS is a unique FEL user facility, operating exclusively in the EUV wavelength region (50-150nm) in the world. Based on High Gain Harmonic Generation (HGHG) technique, seed laser in visible region is used to interact with electron beam first. FEL from the modulated electron beam lases at the different harmonic of the seed laser which depends on the undulator parameters. The advantage is saving of undulator segments and the narrow bandwidth close to Fourier transform limit. It has delivered bright optical beam in picoseconds or 100 femtoseconds with 0.1% bandwidth for scientific research 24 hours per day since 2018.
More information can be found at http://english.dicp.cas.cn/
