News
Internationally recognized materials scientist joins BTU and IKZ
Aleksandar Matkovic, expert in complex material structures and ERC Starting Grant recipient, conducts research at the interface of materials and devices:
Internationally recognized materials scientist Prof. Dr. Aleksandar Matkovic will take over as head of the “Nanostructures & Thin Films” department at the Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung (IKZ) on October 1,…
Far-UVC LEDs transmit data at record speed
Wireless optical communication using UVC light expands the possibilities of radio-frequency technologies:
Researchers at Ferdinand-Braun-Institut (FBH) in Berlin, the Institute of Photonics at University of Strathclyde, and the LiFi Research and Development Centre at University of Cambridge have transmitted data at up to…
Nanosilver as an electrocatalyst for CO₂ reduction
Simultaneous production of formic acid, hydrogen and CO further enhances the cost-effectiveness of electrolysis:
Via electrolysis, CO2 can be reduced to CO, a raw material for further chemical products such as fuels. Within the GreenQuest Project, an internation team led by HZB chemist Prashanth Menezes has now systematically…
Record levels of purity: IKZ silicon for the mirrors of the Einstein Telescope
The institute is contributing to the preparation for the next-generation gravitational-wave detector:
The IKZ is developing the material for one of the most ambitious scientific instruments of the coming decades: high-purity crystalline silicon for the mirrors of the planned Einstein Telescope (ET). Through two…
Cruise Complete, Mercury Ahead
A new chapter for the MERTIS and BELA scientific instruments onboard the BepiColombo planetary mission:
After an eight-year journey through the inner Solar System, BepiColombo mission is entering a decisive phase on its way to uncovering the mysteries of Mercury, the innermost planet. A joint mission of the European…
Spin waves inside a nano-oscillator imaged for the first time
The scanning transmission X-ray microscope MAXYMUS at BESSY II reveals magnetisation processes in spintronic devices:
For the first time, researchers have directly imaged the magnetisation dynamics inside a spin Hall nano-oscillator — a nanoscale device that converts direct current into tunable microwave signals and is a promising…
Watching a Carbon-Carbon Double Bond Respond to Light
Research team investigates the molecular response following the photoexcitation of ethylene:
Ethylene contains a carbon–carbon double bond, one of the most important structural motifs in organic chemistry. Carbon–carbon double bonds are present in countless molecules, and their response to light plays a…
FBH at Photonics Days: from high-power diode lasers to quantum technologies
Ferdinand-Braun-Institut will present the latest developments on 7 and 8 October 2026 in Adlershof:
Ferdinand-Braun-Institut (FBH) will contribute numerous scientific presentations at Photonics Days Berlin Brandenburg on October 7 and 8, 2026. The focus will be on current developments in diode lasers and UV light…
Joint power instead of duplicate structures
The research community in Berlin is pooling its computing power for AI and data research:
Berlin’s research community is further advancing its research excellence by establishing a high-performance, cross-institutional infrastructure for data and AI. With a joint agreement signed on 18 September 2026, the…
New greenhouse gas report identifies main sources of emissions at HZB
Research institute presents greenhouse gas inventory and certification for its energy management system:
For many years, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) has been committed to resource-efficient research and working practices. The centre has set itself the goal of becoming greenhouse gas neutral by 2035. To this end,…
New findings on the lifespan of lithium-ion batteries
Distribution of lithium isotopes serves as a ‘fingerprint’ for aging processes:
The service life of lithium-ion batteries is limited by complex aging processes, the causes of which are often difficult to distinguish from one another. Researchers at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and…
High-resolution insights into individual biomolecules and catalysts
Nanoscale infrared spectroscopy improves the ability to study biological and chemical processes at BESSY II:
Very small biological samples and even individual biomolecules can now be examined under near-physiological conditions with high confidence at the BESSY II infrared beamline with a newly validated and improved…
New insights into sodium transport in sodium-ion batteries
Measurements reveal movements and chemical changes in the material:
Sodium-ion batteries are regarded as a promising alternative to today’s lithium-ion batteries. Sodium is widely available and could play an important role, particularly in large-scale stationary energy storage…
New insights for the development of functional magnetic materials
3D magnetic field experiment at BESSY II takes spintronics a step further:
(Fe0.63Ni0.3Pd0.07)3P or FNPP is a magnetic material that exhibits complex magnetic structures even at room temperature. This makes the material of interest for spintronics, a field that could enable data processing…
BESSY II is proving its worth – as shown by the impact analysis carried out by DIW Econ
Every euro invested in BESSY yields three euros for Germany, and as many as ten euros for the State of Berlin:
An impact analysis by DIW Econ demonstrates the scientific and economic value of BESSY II. Every euro invested yields three euros for Germany and as much as ten euros for the State of Berlin. Furthermore, the study…
Adlershof, acne and astronauts
JenLab technology offers countless potential applications and is used worldwide:
Its customers range from the European Space Agency (ESA) and global companies such as L’Oréal, Shiseido, Colgate-Palmolive and Procter & Gamble to leading clinics in Boston, Brisbane and Berlin. JenLab was named…
Laser Passion at the Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz-Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik (FBH)
Susann-Alice Seeger is working on a light-based weapon against bacteria:
The tiny beasts can hide away in the deepest recesses. But they don’t stand a chance. A glass fibre can reach them in the remote corners of the nose or throat, where they like to lurk. A pulse of light at a wavelength…
Comprehensive EUV optical constants dataset published
Result of an international collaboration led by PTB and involving eight partner institutions:
Optical constants, as fundamental material parameters, form an important basis for the development and optimisation of optical components, including applications in semiconductor lithography, at synchrotron and…
Modular concept brings rail and road transport closer together
The EU project Pods4Rails has developed new approaches to connected mobility:
As part of the EU Pods4Rail project, the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) has developed an innovative, automated mobility concept together with collaborators from research and…
Two attosecond flashes capture electrons in motion
Researchers at the Max Born Institute have developed a table-top technique in which attosecond pulses both initiate and probe electronic motion:
Using all-attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, the team resolved the oscillatory motion of an electron vacancy (an electronic “hole”) in xenon ions with a period of about three femtoseconds. The results have…