Generation of attosecond X-ray laser pulses

We propose to generate as-X-ray laser pulses by beating of two or more X-ray laser lines with a frequency separation in the range of 10/sup 15/ Hz. We focus on nickel-like X-ray lasers, some of which have a few almost equidistant laser gain lines with an appropriate difference frequency. It is shown that in the case of three or more lines, these can be phase-locked by means of a Langmuir wave generated in the gain medium at a suitable electron density.