<title>Vanderbilt University Free-Electron Laser Center</title>

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Vanderbilt University Free-Electron Laser Center was established to apply the free-electronlaser to interdisciplinary research in medicine, biology, and materials science. The free-electron laser istunable over the range from 2 to 8 tm, with an average power up to 1 1 W. In its first user period, thelaser logged around 1500 hours and served more than 23 groups from around the world.1. INTRODUCTIONIn 1987, Vanderbilt University founded the Free-Electron Laser Center as part ofthe nationalMedical Free-Electron Laser (MFEL) Program, a Congressional initiative funded through the DepartmentofDefense and currently supported and managed by the Office of Naval Research. The purpose of theprogram was to exploit the opportunities afforded by the newly emerging technology of free-electronlasers for research in medicine, biology, and materials science. Because of the combination of basicscience and clinical medicine of which the program is composed, it has been possible to construct aprogram of interdisciplinary research which has brought together investigators from diverse fields andinstitutions in intimate collaborations which would not otherwise have developed. Using new researchinstruments available at the Center, of which the free-electron laser is the centerpiece, these groups havebegun to create and develop unique and exciting ideas by borrowing concepts and technology from eachother.At the present time, the free-electron laser, which has an average power of up to 1 1 W, tunableover a wavelength range from 2 to 8 j.tm, is in routine operation in support of scientific and clinicalexperiments. At the end of the first year of operation, the laser has logged around 1500 hours of operationin support of the applications. Over 23 individual research projects, the work of groups from the UnitedStates and several European countries, are currently in progress. The fields of research include, amongothers, the band structure at semiconductor junctions, laser desorption mass spectrometry of biopolymers,radiation therapy using monochromatic X-rays, surgery of bone and cartilage, neurosurgery, andophthalmology.