The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) is a linac-based SASE x-ray FEL project at SLAC designed to generate extremely high brightness 1.5-Å radiation in a 120-m long undulator. The project is presently in an engineering design stage and scheduled to start construction in 2006 with project completion in 2008. We will briefly review the status and then discuss a few recent developments including: 1) ideas to generate femtosecond and sub-femtosecond x-ray pulse lengths; 2) a 'beam-heater' scheme to control the longitudinal space-charge and CSR micro-bunching instabilities; and 3) related R&D work being carried out at the operational Sub-Picosecond Pulsed Source (SPPS) at SLAC where peak current levels of 15-30 kA are now available.


Talk Slides: (slides)