SE Valley Times

Recently, undergraduate students at Arizona State University (ASU) embarked on their journey into a unique research lab. Located in the basement of ASU's Biodesign Institute, this facility houses the compact X-ray free electron laser (CXFEL) project, which is set to revolutionize biology, bioenergy, and drug discovery once fully operational.

Student worker Albert Richardson expressed surprise at his involvement: “I’ve driven by this building so many times," he said. "Surprisingly, before I joined this project, I didn't really know what it was all about."

The CXFEL Director William Graves reflected on the project's development: “Over the last 10 years we’ve come from an empty lot to a world-class laboratory housing the world’s first compact X-ray laser,” he stated. The facility aims to offer students hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology.

Mark Holl, CXFEL chief engineer, emphasized student growth: “We try to take students on early in their careers so that they can be with us for a number of years and slowly progress to larger and larger problems.”

Students like Gavin Russo are working on shielding computer chips from radiation produced by the powerful X-rays. “We're working with equipment that's precise down to one-thousandth of an inch or even less than that in some cases,” Russo noted.

Alexis Vasquez praised the collaborative environment: “The team is amazing,” she said. “It’s just like a family sort of feeling.”

Alan Dupre shared insights into his work as a graduate student in the lab's control room: “You can have whoever is sitting here go back and forth between all of these different display screens to rapidly assess the status from the real-time data coming from the instruments,” Dupre explained.

Sabine Botha, along with Holl, will lead a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program starting next summer. Botha highlighted its importance: “Within this highly unique and diverse research environment... participate in the first experiments at these novel X-ray sources.”

Annelise Velarde spoke about her role in utilizing AI tools for data analysis: “I'm learning all these different things... it’s just really cool,” she said.

This project has opened new career horizons for students like Russo who aspire to work on nuclear fusion technologies. He remarked on his ambitions: “I hope to work at a start-up out there that is developing these technologies.”

The experiences gained at ASU's CXFEL are already transforming students' lives and career opportunities. As Richardson put it: "Jumping straight from my freshman year into hands-on research with this level of precision technology has just been a huge honor."