Stories
China's Super Microscope Leap: Electron Beam Breakthrough Puts US Far Behind.
N
News18•28-09-2026, 14:40
China's Super Microscope Leap: Electron Beam Breakthrough Puts US Far Behind.
- •Chinese scientists have generated an electron beam using an advanced electron gun for the first time, a feat unmatched by any other country.
- •This achievement was made at the Hefei Advanced Light Facility (HALF), which successfully generated its first electron beam on September 20.
- •HALF is a fourth-generation state-of-the-art light source project that will generate powerful X-rays, enabling scientists to observe materials at the atomic level.
- •This technology will aid research in new-generation batteries, advanced materials, high-temperature superconductivity, and life sciences, including studying diseases like Alzheimer's.
- •Construction of HALF began in 2023 and is expected to be completed by 2028, integrating with other major scientific facilities in China.
Key Questions Answered
Chinese scientists successfully generated an electron beam using an advanced electron gun for the first time, passing it through a 192-meter-long linear accelerator to increase its energy to 2.2 billion electron volts.
The Hefei Advanced Light Facility successfully generated its first electron beam on September 20.
Construction on the Hefei Advanced Light Facility began in 2023, and the project is expected to be completed by 2028.
