Is there a future for femtosecond x-ray diffraction using plasma x-ray sources?

The main drawbacks of laser-produced plasmas is the weak x-ray flux available for the experiment and the monochromaticity of the x-rays. The ultrafast resolution is at present limited to very simple systems with high x-ray diffraction power. The possibility of extending this technique to more complex processes as the characterization of the fundamental atomic vibrations in solids (optical phonons) and the elementary steps of bio-chemical reactions is discussed.