THz-Beamline

Coherent & Incoherent THz Synchrotron Radiation

The THz beamline exploits intense coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR, [1-2]) as emitted from special storage ring modes, for the study of magneto optical phenomena in the energy range from 3 to 150 1/cm. A dedicated THz electron paramagnetic resonance (THz-EPR) facility combines a broad range of excitation and detection schemes with extreme sample environments (in particular high magnetic fields and low temperatures).

Science drivers for the THz beamline

Science drivers for the THz beamline


Station data
Temperature range 1.8 - 400 K
Pressure range For details contact the Instrument Scientist.
Weitere Details THz spectroscopy & THz EPR
Beamline data
Segment H11
Location (Pillar) 12.1
Source Dipole D112 (2nd after slicing undulators)
Monochromator FTIR-Spectrometer IFS125 HR (Bruker Optics) and VERTEX 70
Energy range 2 cm-1 - 10000 cm-1
Energy resolution 0.0063 cm-1
Flux 5 mW / mm2
Polarisation variable
Divergence horizontal 60 mrad
Divergence vertical 15 mrad
Focus size (hor. x vert.) > 0.3 x 0.3 mm
User endstation not possible
Distance Focus/last valve 900 mm
Height Focus/floor level 1200 mm
Beam availability 24h/d
Phone +4930 8062 13170
Optical layout and schematic of the instrumental set-up at the THz beamline. THz radiation extracted from the storage ring may be readily directed towards three different detection schemes.

Optical layout and schematic of the instrumental set-up at the THz beamline. THz radiation extracted from the storage ring may be readily directed towards three different detection schemes.


Research topics are related to manipulation and detection of high spin states in e.g., proteins, single molecule magnets, energy materials and materials relevant for future information technologies.

The THz beamline extracts CSR from the 2° dipole source (D112) after the slicing section at an acceptance of 60 mrad (h) x 15 mrad (v). A true optical transmission line transports CSR as emitted by ultra-short bunches in the low a mode (pulse length: < 10 ps, spectral range: 3-50 cm-1)[1] and laser-induced by Femtoslicing [2] ( pulse length: ~ 200 fs, spectral range: 20-150 cm-1), respectively. Complementary, FIR-UV-VIS cw radiation and 1 mJ of synchronized fs laser pulses (800 or 400 nm) are available at the experiment.  Sample environments include a superconducting magnet (Cryogenic Ltd., -12 T to +12 T) equipped with a variable temperature insert (1.8 K-400 K), and an optical cryostat (Oxford Optistat, T = 1.5 K- 300 K). THz detection is achieved either with a high resolution FTIR-spectrometer (Bruker IFS 125-HR, min. bandwidth: 0.0063 cm-1) in combination with ultra-sensitive liquid helium cooled Si- or InSb – bolometers or fast Schottky diode THz detectors (ACST, time resolution 250 ps).  Alternatively, transient THz signals may be directly detected via a time domain (TD) THz set-up. This dedicated TD THz scheme allows for a cross-correlation of THz pulses from the storage ring with the synchronized external fs-laser source (optical pump – THz probe).

References / Latest Publications

[1] M. Abo-Bakr, et al. Phys. Rev. Lett., 2003, 90, 094801.

[2] K. Holldack, et al. Phys. Rev. Lett., 2006, 96, 054801.

[3] A. Schnegg, et al. Phys. Chem. Chem.  Phys., 2009, 11, 6820.

[4] K. S. Pedersen, et al. Chem. Commun., 2011, 47, 6918

[5] J. Dreiser, et al. Chem.  Eur.  J.,2011,  17, 7492.

[6] A. P. Forshaw, et al. Inorg. Chem., 2013,  52, 144.

[7] J. Dreiser, et al. Chem. Eur. J., 2013, 19, 3693.

[8] J. Nehrkorn, et al., Mol. Phys.,2013,  111 (18-19), 2696.

[9] N. E. Massa ,et al. J. Phys.: Condensed Matter, 2013, 25, 235603.