Synchrotron Radiation and Sensors: A History of Synergies

Synchrotron radiation has emerged over more than one-half century as a gigantic worldwide enterprise involving tens of thousands of researchers. Its history has been continuously and strongly linked to the technical progress of sensors. We review here different aspects of this symbiotic relation, for photon sensors and other devices. We also analyze its probable future developments, specifically in light of the new x-ray free electron lasers.