Ultra-Low-Emittance Light Sources

In this special issue, we delve into the subject of ultra-low-emittance storage ring light sources. While these go under various names, such as “diffraction-limited storage rings” and “ultimate storage rings,” perhaps the most universally applicable name is “fourth-generation storage rings” or 4GSRs. As this name suggests, these rings promise improvements in X-ray brightness that are comparable to those seen in the transition from second- to third-generation rings.