Is SLAC producing light "light with a wavelength of 32nm"?

[edguy99]

I am looking for clarification of the wording used in a recent article about X-ray lasers.

https://www6.slac.stanford.edu/news...slac-could-make-x-ray-lasers-more-stable.aspx

... researchers have been trying to generate higher and higher harmonics, with the goal of reaching X-ray wavelengths of 10 nanometers or less. ... “We’ve now reached the infrared laser’s 75th harmonic, which allows us to produce microbunches able to generate light with a wavelength of 32 nanometers,” ...

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I assume they mean they have bunched the electrons into 32 nanometer bunches, producing photons over a distance of 32 nanometers, but that the actual individual photons produced within the bunch probably have a wavelength much shorter (maybe as small as 0.1 nanometers or whatever).

I find the use of the wording "generate light with a wavelength of 32 nanometers" to be confusing if not misleading.

 

[DrSteve]

32 nm is the wavelength of the photons.

"Proof-of-principle experiments at the NLCTA began in 2009 with the demonstration of the 3rd harmonic in 2010,7th harmonic in 2012 and 15th harmonic in 2014.

“We’ve now reached the infrared laser’s 75th harmonic, which allows us to produce microbunches able to generate light with a wavelength of 32 nanometers,” Bryant says. “This brings us for the first time within reach of our goal.”

This is a proof-of-principle experiment using an infrared, not x-ray, laser.