Latest news from microsystems technology and materials research
International experts discuss the potential of aluminium nitride at the IKZ
Fellowship Award for Prof. Dr. Andreas Waag:
What prospects does aluminum nitride offer for the power electronics and photonics of the future? The IKZ Symposium on October 14, 2026, in Berlin-Adlershof addressed this question. Under the title “Aluminum Nitride –…
Patterns of polar vortices detected in lead-free superlattices on silicon
HZB team thus expands the possibilities for novel ferroelectric components:
A team at HZB has, for the first time, reported polar vortices in (BaTiO3/SrTiO3)10 superlattices on silicon. These results expand the range of materials and substrates on which polar topological textures can occur…
New PFHxA limits: BAM reference material enables reliable measurements
The certified reference material derived from outdoor textiles assists testing laboratories with their analytical work:
Since October 10, 2026, new restrictions have been in force in the EU to perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), its salts, and related substances in clothing, footwear, and accessories. The Federal Institute for Materials…
HZB congratulates Peter Hegemann on winning the Nobel Prize
His research groups have been using the Adlershof-based BESSY II X-ray source for their experiments for many years:
The Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) extends its warmest congratulations to Peter Hegemann, Professor of Neuroscience and Experimental Biophysics at Humboldt University in Berlin. Together with Prof. Georg Nagel (Julius…
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…
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…
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…
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…