Synchrotron-radiation sources have become, since the late 1960’s, one of the fundamental experimental tools for surface and interface research. Only recently, however, a related type of photon sources - the free-electron lasers (FELs) — has begun to make important contributions to this field. For example, FELs have been used to reach unprecedented levels of accuracy and reliability in measuring semiconductor interface energy barriers. We review some of the present and proposed experiments that are made possible by the unmatched brightness and broad tunability of infrared FELs. Practical examples discussed in the review are supplied by our own programs at the Vanderbilt Free-Electron Laser. We also briefly analyze the possible future development of FELs and of their applications to surface and interface research, in particular, the possibility of x-ray FELs.
An introduction to the special issue onX-ray free-electron lasers