LIVERMORE, Calif., June 25 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they have observed condensed phase dynamics by capturing time-series images of a solid as it evolves at the nanoscale.

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers led by Anton Barty used femtosecond X-ray free electron laser pulses to observe condensed phase dynamics such as crack formation, phase separation, and rapid fluctuations in the liquid state or in biologically relevant environments.

"The ability to take images in a single shot is the key to studying non-repetitive behavior mechanisms in a sample," Barty said. "This experiment opens the door to a new regime of time-resolved experiments in mesoscopic dynamics."

Barty said the technique could be extended to a few nanometers spatial and a few tens of femtoseconds temporal resolution.

The researchers said their achievement marks the first time optical pulses have been used to image samples at the nanometer-spatial resolution scale. Earlier studies were limited to a few micrometers.

The new technique is necessary to study ultrafast dynamics of non crystalline materials at nanometer-length scales, they said.

The research appears in the online edition of the journal Nature Photonics.