News
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…
New sample environment at BESSY II allows glimpse into thermocatalytic processes
A novel measurement cell allows, for the first time, X-ray investigations under high pressures and temperatures:
A novel measurement cell allows, for the first time, soft and hard X-ray investigations under high pressures of up to 20 bar and temperatures of up to 400°C. This provides new insights into thermocatalytic processes,…
New insights into quantum materials using magnetic imaging
Micro-flowers increase the local magnetic field and expand the range of applications for photoemission electron microscopy:
Materials with magnetic nanostructures have many potential applications such as in spintronics. To explore such materials, nanoscale magnetic-sensitive imaging techniques are very useful, but up to now only weak…
Materials research: BESSY and the bronze sword
A historic artefact was examined at the Adlershof Particle Accelerator:
A weapon is not the sort of object you would expect to find at a particle accelerator. Yet earlier this year, a Bronze Age sword found its way to Berlin: 60 centimetres long, richly decorated, more than 3,400 years…
BAM takes a key role in major European research project
The EU project MaterialsCommons is establishing a networked data and AI infrastructure for materials research:
The Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) is taking on a central role in the major European project “MaterialsCommons”, which kicked off in June. Coordinated by Fraunhofer IWM, 26 research…
ISO honors Michael Krumrey for excellence
The International Organization for Standardization recognizes the PTB scientist for his many years of leadership:
The head of the department 7.2 “X-ray metrology with synchrotron radiation” at the National Metrology Institute of Germany, PTB, in Adlershof, Dr Michael Krumrey, has received the ISO Excellence Award. The award…
Superconducting TES array X-ray spectrometer goes into operation at BESSY II
The instrument is around 100 to 1,000 times more efficient at detecting photons than conventional devices:
The TES-Spectrometer was developed within a collaboration between the HZB, the MPI-CEC (Mühlheim-an-der-Ruhr, Germany) and the NIST (Boulder CO, USA) and is now in operation at BESSY II, as the only TES-Spectrometer…
Tutorial on the analysis of liposomes and lipid nanoparticles published
PTB contributes to the measurement of key structural parameters for the characterisation of materials:
Liposomes and lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are frequently used as carriers in drug delivery and are able to encapsulate active substances such as nucleic acids and peptides and transport them to the site of treatment in…
X-ray analysis reveals overpainted fascist symbols
At HZB, a work by painter Erich Mercker was examined:
Erich Mercker was a successful painter during the Nazi era and in the years that followed. After 1945, he covered up Nazi symbols in at least one of his paintings. With an interdisciplinary team, physicist Dr Ioanna…
Radiation damage or intrinsic material change?
PTB study reveals dose limits for reliable X-ray analysis of battery materials:
X-ray radiation provides insight into the chemical changes in battery materials during battery operation ("operando"), but is also the cause of radiation-generated effects that can superimpose and falsify measurement…
Dual-comb spectroscopy in the focus of research
A recent overview highlights the principles, advances and future potential of this groundbreaking technology:
Atoms and molecules are the fundamental building blocks of matter. Spectroscopy identifies and quantifies chemical species through the unique spectral fingerprints they imprint on light. Spectroscopy has many…
Imaging Ellipsometry for Process Control of Thin-Film Devices
The method developed at HZB enables non-destructive characterisation and quality control of microstructured MXene thin films during device fabrication:
A German–Israeli research team led by Dr. Andreas Furchner has demonstrated how imaging ellipsometry enables non-destructive characterisation and quality control of microstructured MXene thin films during device…
How intrinsic oxygen shortens the lifespan of solid-state batteries
A study conducted at BESSY II provides valuable information for improving design and handling of solid-state batteries:
Although solid-state batteries (SSBs) demonstrate high performance and are intrinsically safe, their capacity currently declines rapidly. A team from the TU Wien, Humboldt-University Berlin and HZB has now analysed a…
Real-time analysis of magnetic bilayer systems at BESSY II
Femtoslicing enables ‘snapshots’ of the magnetic state of materials:
Spintronic devices enable data processing with significantly lower energy consumption. They are based on the interaction between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic layers. Now, a team from Freie Universität Berlin,…
Catalysis App – Structured Research Data for Developing Sustainable Catalysts
The platform enables reliable data sharing and provides a strong foundation for artificial-intelligence-driven analysis:
Catalysis − the reduction of activation energy in a chemical reaction by a catalyst − plays a key role in the chemical industry, as well as in the development of sustainable technologies essential for achieving a…
Environmental Chemistry at BESSY II: Radicals in waterways
HZB research group unravels the light-induced formation of hydroxyl radicals from nitrite:
How do radicals form in aqueous solutions when exposed to UV light? This question is important for health research and environmental protection, for example with regard to the overfertilisation of water bodies by…
Smartphone rapid test detects microbiologically contaminated water in less than a minute
BAM research team developed a highly sensitive detection method for urobilin:
Microbiologically contaminated water poses a significant health risk worldwide – especially in areas where laboratories are scarce and rapid testing is crucial. Researchers at the Federal Institute for Materials…
Research team has developed an alternative spectral imaging method
Quantum interference makes MIR spectroscopy possible using simple camera technology:
Mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy uses the molecular fingerprints of samples to perform biomedical or environmental analyses without chemical staining or labeling. Highly specific vibrational states of the different…
What Zinc concentration in teeth reveals
X-ray methods reveal strong gradients on the Zinc distribution in teeth – these insights could inspire dental medicine:
Teeth are composites of mineral and protein, with a bulk of bony dentin that is highly porous. This structure is allows teeth to be both strong and sensitive. Besides calcium and phosphate, teeth contain trace…
MP2E Solutions and LUM launch a strategic partnership
Advanced solutions and expertise for the French business market:
LUM is a renowned authority in scientific and measurement-technology expertise, specializing in particle characterization, stability evaluation of suspensions and emulsions, determination of adhesive strengths and…