Scientists capture nanoscale images with short and intense X-ray laser

Single-molecule diffractive imaging with an X-ray free-electron laser. Individual biological molecules will be made to fall through the X-ray beam, one at a time, and their structural information recorded in the form of a diffraction pattern. The pulse will ultimately destroy each molecule, but not before the pulse has diffracted from the undamaged structure. The patterns are combined to form an atomic-resolution image of the molecule. Credit: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory