{
  "id": 8929507,
  "title": "X-ray light is like guitar music, with frequencies sliding continuously between harmonics",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/x-ray-light-is-like-guitar-music-with-frequencies-sliding",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-21T13:40:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-09-ray-guitar-music-frequencies-harmonics.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Researchers from TU Wien and the University of California San Diego have developed a method to continuously tune the frequency of X-ray light, comparing it to guitar music with harmonics sliding between notes. By using a six-meter gas-filled waveguide and a specific type of laser, the team can adjust the frequency precisely, allowing them to hit a targeted X-ray frequency. This breakthrough, detailed in Communications Physics, addresses the issue of limited frequency options when working with high-harmonic light, which typically behaves like a guitar with fixed frets. The method involves shifting the laser's frequency rather than altering the X-ray light directly. This innovation could revolutionize experiments requiring precise frequency tuning, such as precision spectroscopy, nuclear clocks, and semiconductor metrology.",
  "summary": "Ultrashort laser pulses can be used to generate X-rays. Normally, however, only certain specific frequencies are produced. A team from TU Wien and the University of California San Diego has developed a method that makes it possible to tune the frequency continuously.",
  "key_points": [
    "Comparing X-ray light to guitar music, frequencies slide continuously between harmonics.",
    "Six-meter gas-filled waveguide and specific laser enable precise frequency adjustment."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}