HZB Newsroom

  • Less is more: Why an economical Iridium catalyst works so well
    Science Highlight
    05.12.2024
    Less is more: Why an economical Iridium catalyst works so well
    Iridium-based catalysts are needed to produce hydrogen using water electrolysis. Now, a team at HZB has shown that the newly developed P2X catalyst, which requires only a quarter of the Iridium, is as efficient and stable over time as the best commercial catalyst. Measurements at BESSY II have now revealed how the special chemical environment in the P2X catalyst during electrolysis promotes the oxygen evolution reaction during water splitting.
  • Ultrafast dissociation of molecules studied at BESSY II
    Science Highlight
    02.12.2024
    Ultrafast dissociation of molecules studied at BESSY II
    For the first time, an international team has tracked at BESSY II how heavy molecules – in this case bromochloromethane – disintegrate into smaller fragments when they absorb X-ray light. Using a newly developed analytical method, they were able to visualise the ultrafast dynamics of this process. In this process, the X-ray photons trigger a "molecular catapult effect": light atomic groups are ejected first, similar to projectiles fired from a catapult, while the heavier atoms - bromine and chlorine - separate more slowly.
  • 20 years of promoting science in the school lab
    News
    29.11.2024
    20 years of promoting science in the school lab
    38,000 visitors in 20 years: high demand shows need for science education

    Twenty years ago, on 29 November 2004, Klaus Böger, then Senator for Education in Berlin, opened one of the capital's first school laboratories. Since then, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), in cooperation with the Berlin Senate, has successfully promoted science education through project days and further training in the school lab.

  • Protons against cancer: New research beamline for innovative radiotherapies
    News
    27.11.2024
    Protons against cancer: New research beamline for innovative radiotherapies
    Together with the University of the Bundeswehr Munich, the HZB has set up a new beamline for preclinical research. It will enable experiments on biological samples on innovative radiation therapies with protons.
  • Obituary for Professor Alexander M. Bradshaw
    News
    19.11.2024
    Obituary for Professor Alexander M. Bradshaw
    The HZB and BESSY family mourns the loss of Alex Bradshaw. The physicist passed away on October 10, 2024.  As successor to founding director Prof. Helmut Baumgärtel, he served as scientific director of the Berlin electron storage ring for synchrotron radiation (BESSY GmbH) from 1981 to 1985. During this time, he initiated and implemented important developments at the Berlin synchrotron radiation source.

  • Battery research with the HZB X-ray microscope
    Science Highlight
    18.11.2024
    Battery research with the HZB X-ray microscope
    New cathode materials are being developed to further increase the capacity of lithium batteries. Multilayer lithium-rich transition metal oxides (LRTMOs) offer particularly high energy density. However, their capacity decreases with each charging cycle due to structural and chemical changes. Using X-ray methods at BESSY II, teams from several Chinese research institutions have now investigated these changes for the first time with highest precision: at the unique X-ray microscope, they were able to observe morphological and structural developments on the nanometre scale and also clarify chemical changes.
  • BESSY II: New procedure for better thermoplastics
    Science Highlight
    04.11.2024
    BESSY II: New procedure for better thermoplastics
    Bio-based thermoplastics are produced from renewable organic materials and can be recycled after use. Their resilience can be improved by blending bio-based thermoplastics with other thermoplastics. However, the interface between the materials in these blends sometimes requires enhancement to achieve optimal properties. A team from the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands has now investigated at BESSY II how a new process enables thermoplastic blends with a high interfacial strength to be made from two base materials: Images taken at the new nano station of the IRIS beamline showed that nanocrystalline layers form during the process, which increase material performance.
  • Martin Keller elected new president of the Helmholtz Association
    News
    30.10.2024
    Martin Keller elected new president of the Helmholtz Association
    The Helmholtz Association has appointed internationally respected US-based scientist Martin Keller as its new president. Her has lived in the United States for nearly three decades, during which he has held various scientific leadership roles at prominent institutions. Since 2015, Keller has directed the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado. His term begins on 1.11. 2025.

  • Hydrogen: Breakthrough in alkaline membrane electrolysers
    Science Highlight
    28.10.2024
    Hydrogen: Breakthrough in alkaline membrane electrolysers
    A team from the Technical University of Berlin, HZB, IMTEK (University of Freiburg) and Siemens Energy has developed a highly efficient alkaline membrane electrolyser that approaches the performance of established PEM electrolysers. What makes this achievement remarkable is the use of inexpensive nickel compounds for the anode catalyst, replacing costly and rare iridium. At BESSY II, the team was able to elucidate the catalytic processes in detail using operando measurements, and a theory team (USA, Singapore) provided a consistent molecular description. In Freiburg, prototype cells were built using a new coating process and tested in operation. The results have been published in the prestigious journal Nature Catalysis.
  • Rutger Schlatmann re-elected as ETIP PV Chair
    News
    24.10.2024
    Rutger Schlatmann re-elected as ETIP PV Chair
    The European Technology and Innovation Platform for Photovoltaics (ETIP PV) was created by the European Commission in order to promote photovoltaic technologies and industries in Europe. Now, the ETIP PV Steering Committee elected a new Chair, as well as two Vice-Chairs for the term 2024 – 2026. Rutger Schlatmann, head of the division Solar Energy at the HZB, and professor at HTW Berlin, was re-elected as the ETIP PV Chair.
  • Perovskite solar cells: TEAM PV develops reproducibility and comparability
    News
    22.10.2024
    Perovskite solar cells: TEAM PV develops reproducibility and comparability
    Ten teams at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin are building a long-term international alliance to converge practices and develop reproducibility and comparability in perovskite materials. The TEAM PV project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany.
  • Bernd Rech appointed to the Energy Research Advisory Council
    News
    16.10.2024
    Bernd Rech appointed to the Energy Research Advisory Council
    The Federal Minister of Economics Affairs and Climate Action, Robert Habeck, has appointed an advisory board to advise the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Action (BMWK) on the energy research programme. Prof. Dr. Bernd Rech is one of the ten renowned experts from science and industry. The physicist is Scientific Director of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin and Vice-President of the Helmholtz Association for Energy Research.
  • HZB patent for semiconductor characterisation goes into serial production
    News
    10.10.2024
    HZB patent for semiconductor characterisation goes into serial production
    An HZB team has developed together with Freiberg Instruments an innovative monochromator that is now being produced and marketed. The device makes it possible to quickly and continuously measure the optoelectronic properties of semiconductor materials with high precision over a broad spectral range from the near infrared to the deep ultraviolet. Stray light is efficiently suppressed. This innovation is of interest for the development of new materials and can also be used to better control industrial processes.
  • Photovoltaic living lab reaches the 100 Megawatt-hour mark
    News
    27.09.2024
    Photovoltaic living lab reaches the 100 Megawatt-hour mark
    About three years ago, the living laboratory at HZB went into operation. Since then, the photovoltaic facade has been generating electricity from sunlight. On September 27, 2024, it reached the milestone of 100 megawatt-hours.

  • Alternating currents for alternative computing with magnets
    Science Highlight
    26.09.2024
    Alternating currents for alternative computing with magnets
    A new study conducted at the University of Vienna, the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart, and the Helmholtz Centers in Berlin and Dresden takes an important step in the challenge to miniaturize computing devices and to make them more energy-efficient. The work published in the renowned scientific journal Science Advances opens up new possibilities for creating reprogrammable magnonic circuits by exciting spin waves by alternating currents and redirecting these waves on demand. The experiments were carried out at the Maxymus beamline at BESSY II.
  • BESSY II: Heterostructures for Spintronics
    Science Highlight
    20.09.2024
    BESSY II: Heterostructures for Spintronics
    Spintronic devices work with spin textures caused by quantum-physical interactions. A Spanish-German collaboration has now studied graphene-cobalt-iridium heterostructures at BESSY II. The results show how two desired quantum-physical effects reinforce each other in these heterostructures. This could lead to new spintronic devices based on these materials.
  • Postdocs at HZB: Crucial for research, innovation and diversity
    News
    16.09.2024
    Postdocs at HZB: Crucial for research, innovation and diversity
    At HZB, 117 postdocs from 29 countries are employed. They play a crucial role in driving the main research activities, fostering creativity and innovation. To honor them, the Postdoc Appreciation Week was first organised in the USA in 2009 and has in the meantime become a regular event in Germany as well in the third week of September every year.

  • Obituary for Dr Martin Nettesheim
    News
    11.09.2024
    Obituary for Dr Martin Nettesheim
    We mourn the loss of our former Administrative Director Dr Martin Nettesheim, who passed away on 21 July 2024 at the age of 88.

  • Green hydrogen: MXenes shows talent as catalyst for oxygen evolution
    Science Highlight
    09.09.2024
    Green hydrogen: MXenes shows talent as catalyst for oxygen evolution
    The MXene class of materials has many talents. An international team led by HZB chemist Michelle Browne has now demonstrated that MXenes, properly functionalised, are excellent catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction in electrolytic water splitting. They are more stable and efficient than the best metal oxide catalysts currently available. The team is now extensively characterising these MXene catalysts for water splitting at the Berlin X-ray source BESSY II and Soleil Synchrotron in France.
  • 13 trainees start their careers at HZB
    News
    05.09.2024
    13 trainees start their careers at HZB
    A new phase of life began for 13 young people on 2 September: HZB welcomed five new trainees, six students on dual study programmes and two participants in a Voluntary Year of Science. They all are starting their careers with great anticipation.

  • SpinMagIC: 'EPR on a chip' ensures quality of olive oil and beer
    News
    04.09.2024
    SpinMagIC: 'EPR on a chip' ensures quality of olive oil and beer
    The first sign of spoilage in many food products is the formation of free radicals, which reduces the shelf-life and the overall quality of the food. Until now, the detection of these molecules has been very costly for the food companies. Researchers at HZB and the University of Stuttgart have developed a portable, small and inexpensive 'EPR on a chip' sensor that can detect free radicals even at very low concentrations. They are now working to set up a spin-off company, supported by the EXIST research transfer programme of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection. The EPRoC sensor will initially be used in the production of olive oil and beer to ensure the quality of these products.
  • Review on ocular particle therapy (OPT) by international experts
    Science Highlight
    03.09.2024
    Review on ocular particle therapy (OPT) by international experts
    A team of leading experts in medical physics, physics and radiotherapy, including HZB physicist Prof. Andrea Denker and Charité medical physicist Dr Jens Heufelder, has published a review article on ocular particle therapy. The article appeared in the Red Journal, one of the most prestigious journals in the field. It outlines the special features of this form of eye therapy, explains the state of the art and current research priorities, provides recommendations for the delivery of radiotherapy and gives an outlook on future developments.
  • "BESSY is of immense importance for Berlin"
    News
    02.09.2024
    "BESSY is of immense importance for Berlin"
    At the end of August, the Senator for Research, Health, and Long-Term Care, Dr Ina Czyborra, together with the State Secretary for Science, Dr Henry Marx, ended her summer tour with a visit to HZB in Adlershof. She publicly declared her political support for the new construction of BESSY III.

  • Langbeinites show talents as 3D quantum spin liquids
    Science Highlight
    23.08.2024
    Langbeinites show talents as 3D quantum spin liquids
    A 3D quantum spin liquid has been discovered in the vicinity of a member of the langbeinite family. The material's specific crystalline structure and the resulting magnetic interactions induce an unusual behaviour that can be traced back to an island of liquidity. An international team has made this discovery with experiments at the ISIS neutron source and theoretical modelling on a nickel-langbeinite sample.
  • Green hydrogen: ‘Artificial leaf’ becomes better under pressure
    Science Highlight
    31.07.2024
    Green hydrogen: ‘Artificial leaf’ becomes better under pressure
    Hydrogen can be produced via the electrolytic splitting of water. One option here is the use of photoelectrodes that convert sunlight into voltage for electrolysis in so called photoelectrochemical cells (PEC cells). A research team at HZB has now shown that the efficiency of PEC cells can be significantly increased under pressure.
  • Green hydrogen from direct seawater electrolysis- experts warn against hype
    News
    29.07.2024
    Green hydrogen from direct seawater electrolysis- experts warn against hype
    At first glance, the plan sounds compelling: invent and develop future electrolysers capable of producing hydrogen directly from unpurified seawater. But a closer look reveals that such direct seawater electrolysers would require years of high-end research. And what is more: DSE electrolyzers are not even necessary - a simple desalination process is sufficient to prepare seawater for conventional electrolyzers. In a commentary in Joule, international experts compare the costs and benefits of the different approaches and come to a clear recommendation.
  • All BESSY II instruments reconnected to the network
    News
    19.07.2024
    All BESSY II instruments reconnected to the network
    Thirteen months ago, HZB fell victim to a criminal cyberattack that also took BESSY II light source and the instruments in the experimental hall out of operation. BESSY II was up and running again after just three weeks and the instruments were gradually put back into operation. Now HZB can report some good news: All experimental stations are again integrated into the new IT networks and can record data.

  • A new way to control the magnetic properties of rare earth elements
    Science Highlight
    17.07.2024
    A new way to control the magnetic properties of rare earth elements
    The special properties of rare earth magnetic materials are due to the electrons in the 4f shell. Until now, the magnetic properties of 4f electrons were considered almost impossible to control. Now, a team from HZB, Freie Universität Berlin and other institutions has shown for the first time that laser pulses can influence 4f electrons- and thus change their magnetic properties. The discovery, which was made through experiments at EuXFEL and FLASH, opens up a new way to data storage with rare earth elements.
  • HZB magazine lichtblick - the new issue is out!
    News
    09.07.2024
    HZB magazine lichtblick - the new issue is out!
    In his search for the perfect catalyst, HZB researcher Robert Seidel is now getting a tailwind – thanks to a ERC Consolidator Grant. In the cover story, we explain why the X-ray source BESSY II plays an important role for his research.

  • BESSY II shows how solid-state batteries degrade
    Science Highlight
    09.07.2024
    BESSY II shows how solid-state batteries degrade
    Solid-state batteries have several advantages: they can store more energy and are safer than batteries with liquid electrolytes. However, they do not last as long and their capacity decreases with each charge cycle. But it doesn't have to stay that way: Researchers are already on the trail of the causes. In the journal ACS Energy Letters, a team from HZB and Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, presents a new method for precisely monitoring electrochemical reactions during the operation of a solid-state battery using photoelectron spectroscopy at BESSY II. The results help to improve battery materials and design.
  • A warm welcome: Summer students start at the HZB
    News
    03.07.2024
    A warm welcome: Summer students start at the HZB
    On 1 July 2024, 18 summer students from 15 nations started their work at HZB. Until 23 August, they will be supervised in various research teams and take on their own small project. For many students, this is their first contact with research.

  • From waste to value: The right electrolytes can enhance glycerol oxidation
    Science Highlight
    01.07.2024
    From waste to value: The right electrolytes can enhance glycerol oxidation
    When biomass is converted into biodiesel, huge amounts of glycerol are produced as a by-product. So far, however, this by-product has been little utilised, even though it could be processed into more valuable chemicals through oxidation in photoelectrochemical reactors. The reason for this: low efficiency and selectivity. A team led by Dr Marco Favaro from the Institute for Solar Fuels at HZB has now investigated the influence of electrolytes on the efficiency of the glycerol oxidation reaction. The results can help to develop more efficient and environmentally friendly production processes.
  • Small powerhouses for very special light
    Science Highlight
    27.06.2024
    Small powerhouses for very special light
    An international team presents the functional principle of a new source of synchrotron radiation in Nature Communications Physics. Steady-state microbunching (SSMB) allows to build efficient and powerful radiation sources for coherent UV radiation in the future. This is very attractive for applications in basic research as well in the semiconductor industry.
  • Long Night of Science: HZB was an attraction
    News
    25.06.2024
    Long Night of Science: HZB was an attraction
    On Saturday, 22 June 2024, HZB opened its doors at the Adlershof site and welcomed around 2200 visitors. 1038 people visited the IRIS research centre, where research from HZB was also presented. Around 250 HZB employees were on duty, some until midnight, to look after the many interested people, present experiments or talk about research.
  • New Method for Absorption Correction to Improve Dental Fillings
    Science Highlight
    24.06.2024
    New Method for Absorption Correction to Improve Dental Fillings
    A research team led by Dr. Ioanna Mantouvalou has developed a method to more accurately depict the elemental distributions in dental materials than previously possible. The used confocal micro-X-ray fluorescence (micro-XRF) analysis provides three-dimensional elemental images that contain distortions. These distortions occur when X-rays pass through materials of different densities and compositions. By utilizing micro-CT data, which provides detailed 3D images of the material structure, and chemical information from X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) experiments conducted in the laboratory (BLiX, TU Berlin) and at the synchrotron light source BESSY II, the researchers have improved the method.
  • HySPRINT Photovoltaics Lab inaugurated
    News
    20.06.2024
    HySPRINT Photovoltaics Lab inaugurated
    After around four years of renovation, photovoltaics research groups moved into their offices in Kekuléstraße on 20 June 2024. With the reopening, the building has also been given a new name that makes the research more visible: it is now called HySPRINT Photovoltaics Lab.

  • Helmholtz Institute for Polymers in Energy Applications (HIPOLE Jena) Inaugurated
    News
    19.06.2024
    Helmholtz Institute for Polymers in Energy Applications (HIPOLE Jena) Inaugurated
    On June 17, 2024, the Helmholtz Institute for Polymers in Energy Applications (HIPOLE Jena) was officially inaugurated in Jena in the presence of Wolfgang Tiefensee, Minister for Economy, Science, and Digital Society of the Free State of Thuringia. The institute was founded by the Helmholtz Center Berlin for Materials and Energy (HZB) in cooperation with the Friedrich Schiller University Jena. It is dedicated to developing sustainable polymer materials for energy technologies, which are expected to play a key role in the energy transition and support Germany’s goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2045.
  • Recruiting film is online!
    News
    19.06.2024
    Recruiting film is online!
     

    HZB has launched a new recruiting film to attract talented people from administration, IT and technology. In cooperation with an external film company, our HR department has produced a video with a lot of commitment and creativity that presents the unique opportunities and team spirit at our centre.

  • Step into the accelerator! Long Night of Science on 22 June from 5 p.m. to midnight
    News
    19.06.2024
    Step into the accelerator! Long Night of Science on 22 June from 5 p.m. to midnight
    This chaos in the photo should make sense? Sure - for many, many scientists from HZB, Berlin and all over the world! They come to the X-ray source BESSY II and hold their samples in its extremely bright beam of light. You can find out exactly how this works live on site during the Long Night of Science on 22 June. We invite you to marvel, ask questions and experiment!

  • “Research and development in times of war: not only possible, but crucial!”
    Interview
    18.06.2024
    “Research and development in times of war: not only possible, but crucial!”
    The Ukraine Recovery Conference took place in Berlin on 11 and 12 June. On a side-event representatives from Helmholtz, Fraunhofer and Leibniz discussed how research can contribute to the sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine.
    In this interview, Bernd Rech, scientific director at HZB, talks about the importance of research during the war and projects such as Green Deal Ukraina.

  • MXenes for energy storage: Chemical imaging more than just surface deep
    Science Highlight
    17.06.2024
    MXenes for energy storage: Chemical imaging more than just surface deep
    A new method in spectromicroscopy significantly improves the study of chemical reactions at the nanoscale, both on surfaces and inside layered materials. Scanning X-ray microscopy (SXM) at MAXYMUS beamline of BESSY II enables the investigation of chemical species adsorbed on the top layer (surface) or intercalated within the MXene electrode (bulk) with high chemical sensitivity. The method was developed by a HZB team led by Dr. Tristan Petit. The scientists demonstrated among others first SXM on MXene flakes, a material used as electrode in lithium-ion batteries.
  • New joint leadership for BESSY II
    News
    13.06.2024
    New joint leadership for BESSY II
    Andreas Jankowiak as new Technical Director and Facility Spokesperson Antje Vollmer share management responsibilities.

    Prof. Andreas Jankowiak has been appointed Technical Director of BESSY II with a term of office of three years as of 1 June 2024 by resolution of the HZB board of directors. Antje Vollmer will start her second term as BESSY II Facility Spokesperson on 1 July 2024. Together, they form the new management duo to coordinate the scientific and technical development of the BESSY II X-ray source on behalf of the HZB management.

  • Chilean President visits Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin
    News
    12.06.2024
    Chilean President visits Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin
    The President of Chile, Gabriel Boric Font, visited HZB on 11 June with a delegation of 50 people. Among the highlights of the evening were the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Chilean Corporation for the Promotion of Production (CORFO) and HZB and a visit to BESSY II light source.
  • Alkanes, laser flashes and BESSY's X-ray vision
    Science Highlight
    31.05.2024
    Alkanes, laser flashes and BESSY's X-ray vision
    An international research team has succeeded in observing an intermediate step in the catalysis of alkanes. By understanding these reactions, existing catalysts can be optimized in the future and new ones found, for example to convert the greenhouse gas methane into valuable raw materials for industry.

  • Dynamic measurements in liquids now possible in the laboratory
    Science Highlight
    23.05.2024
    Dynamic measurements in liquids now possible in the laboratory
    A team of researchers in Berlin has developed a laboratory spectrometer for analysing chemical processes in solution - with a time resolution of 500 ps. This is of interest not only for the study of molecular processes in biology, but also for the development of new catalyst materials. Until now, however, this usually required synchrotron radiation, which is only available at large, modern X-ray sources such as BESSY II. The process now works on a laboratory scale using a plasma light source.
  • Key role of nickel ions in the Simons process discovered
    Science Highlight
    21.05.2024
    Key role of nickel ions in the Simons process discovered
    Researchers at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) and Freie Universität Berlin have discovered the exact mechanism of the Simons process for the first time. The interdisciplinary research team used the BESSY II light source at the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin for this study.

  • Watching indium phosphide at work
    Science Highlight
    15.05.2024
    Watching indium phosphide at work
    Indium phosphide is a versatile semiconductor. The material can be used for solar cells, for hydrogen production and even for quantum computers – and with record-breaking efficiency. However, little research has been conducted into what happens on its surface. Researchers have now closed this gap and used ultra-fast lasers to scrutinise the dynamics of the electrons in the material.
  • Freeze casting - a guide to creating hierarchically structured materials
    Science Highlight
    25.04.2024
    Freeze casting - a guide to creating hierarchically structured materials
    Freeze casting is an elegant, cost-effective manufacturing technique to produce highly porous materials with custom-designed hierarchical architectures, well-defined pore orientation, and multifunctional surface structures. Freeze-cast materials are suitable for many applications, from biomedicine to environmental engineering and energy technologies. An article in "Nature Reviews Methods Primer" now provides a guide to freeze-casting methods that includes an overview on current and future applications and highlights characterization techniques with a focus on X-ray tomoscopy.
  • IRIS beamline at BESSY II extended with nanomicroscopy
    Science Highlight
    25.04.2024
    IRIS beamline at BESSY II extended with nanomicroscopy
    The IRIS infrared beamline at the BESSY II storage ring now offers a fourth option for characterising materials, cells and even molecules on different length scales. The team has extended the IRIS beamline with an end station for nanospectroscopy and nanoimaging that enables spatial resolutions down to below 30 nanometres. The instrument is also available to external user groups. 

  • A sculpture in front of BESSY II: The neuron accelerator
    News
    24.04.2024
    A sculpture in front of BESSY II: The neuron accelerator
    An art installation will be erected in front of the entrance to the BESSY building. The sculpture was chosen in a competion. It invites people to sit down and exchange ideas.
  • Cooperation with the Korea Institute of Energy Research
    News
    23.04.2024
    Cooperation with the Korea Institute of Energy Research
    On Friday, 19 April 2024, the Scientific Director of Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Bernd Rech, and the President of the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), Yi Chang-Keun, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Daejeon (South Korea).
  • Clean cooking fuel with a great impact for southern Africa
    News
    19.04.2024
    Clean cooking fuel with a great impact for southern Africa
    Burning biomass for cooking causes harmful environmental and health issues. The German-South African GreenQUEST initiative is developing a clean household fuel. It aims to reduce climate-damaging CO2 emissions and to improve access to energy for households in sub-Saharan Africa.

  • Quantsol Summer School 2024 - Call for Application
    News
    17.04.2024
    Quantsol Summer School 2024 - Call for Application
    Registration for Quantsol is now open!

    The International Summer School on Photovoltaics and New Concepts of Quantum Solar Energy Conversion (Quantsol) will be held in September 1-8, 2024 in Hirschegg, Kleinwalsertal, Austria. The school is organised by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin and the Technical University of Ilmenau. Applications can be submitted through the school’s homepage until Friday 31st of May 2024, 23.59h CET.

  • A simpler way to inorganic perovskite solar cells
    Science Highlight
    17.04.2024
    A simpler way to inorganic perovskite solar cells
    Inorganic perovskite solar cells made of CsPbI3 are stable over the long term and achieve good efficiencies. A team led by Prof. Antonio Abate has now analysed surfaces and interfaces of CsPbI3 films, produced under different conditions, at BESSY II. The results show that annealing in ambient air does not have an adverse effect on the optoelectronic properties of the semiconductor film, but actually results in fewer defects. This could further simplify the mass production of inorganic perovskite solar cells.
  • Spintronics: A new path to room temperature swirling spin textures
    Science Highlight
    16.04.2024
    Spintronics: A new path to room temperature swirling spin textures
    A team at HZB has investigated a new, simple method at BESSY II that can be used to create stable radial magnetic vortices in magnetic thin films.

  • BESSY II: How pulsed charging enhances the service time of batteries
    Science Highlight
    08.04.2024
    BESSY II: How pulsed charging enhances the service time of batteries
    An improved charging protocol might help lithium-ion batteries to last much longer. Charging with a high-frequency pulsed current reduces ageing effects, an international team demonstrated. The study was led by Philipp Adelhelm (HZB and Humboldt University) in collaboration with teams from the Technical University of Berlin and Aalborg University in Denmark. Experiments at the X-ray source BESSY II were particularly revealing.
  • Fuel Cells: Oxidation processes of phosphoric acid revealed by tender X-rays
    Science Highlight
    03.04.2024
    Fuel Cells: Oxidation processes of phosphoric acid revealed by tender X-rays
    The interactions between phosphoric acid and the platinum catalyst in high-temperature PEM fuel cells are more complex than previously assumed. Experiments at BESSY II with tender X-rays have decoded the multiple oxidation processes at the platinum-electrolyte interface. The results indicate that variations in humidity can influence some of these processes in order to increase the lifetime and efficiency of fuel cells. 
  • Best Innovator Award 2023 for Artem Musiienko
    News
    22.03.2024
    Best Innovator Award 2023 for Artem Musiienko
    Dr. Artem Musiienko has been awarded a special prize for his groundbreaking new method for characterising semiconductors. At the recent annual conference of the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA) in Milan, Italy, he received the MCAA Award for the best innovation. Since 2023, Musiienko has been carrying out his research project with a postdoctoral fellowship from the Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions in Antonio Abate's department, Novel Materials and Interfaces for Photovoltaic Solar Cells (SE-AMIP).
  • Sebastian Keckert wins Young Scientist Award for Accelerator Physics
    News
    21.03.2024
    Sebastian Keckert wins Young Scientist Award for Accelerator Physics
    Dr Sebastian Keckert has been awarded the Young Scientist Award for Accelerator Physics of the German Physical Society (DPG). The prize is endowed with 5000 euros and was presented to him on 21.03. during the spring conference in Berlin. It honours the physicist's outstanding achievements in the development of new superconducting thin-film material systems for cavities.

  • Fertilisation under the X-ray beam
    Science Highlight
    19.03.2024
    Fertilisation under the X-ray beam
    After the egg has been fertilized by a sperm, the surrounding egg coat tightens, mechanically preventing the entry of additional sperm and the ensuing death of the embryo. A team from the Karolinska Institutet has now gained this new insight through measurements at the X-ray light sources BESSY II, DLS and ESRF. 
  • Neutron experiment at BER II reveals new spin phase in quantum materials
    Science Highlight
    18.03.2024
    Neutron experiment at BER II reveals new spin phase in quantum materials
    New states of order can arise in quantum magnetic materials under magnetic fields. An international team has now gained new insights into these special states of matter through experiments at the Berlin neutron source BER II and its High-Field Magnet. BER II served science until the end of 2019 and has since been shut down. Results from data at BER II are still being published.

  • Where quantum computers can score
    Science Highlight
    15.03.2024
    Where quantum computers can score
    The travelling salesman problem is considered a prime example of a combinatorial optimisation problem. Now a Berlin team led by theoretical physicist Prof. Dr. Jens Eisert of Freie Universität Berlin and HZB has shown that a certain class of such problems can actually be solved better and much faster with quantum computers than with conventional methods.
  • The future of BESSY
    News
    07.03.2024
    The future of BESSY
    At the end of February 2024, a team at HZB published an article in Synchrotron Radiation News (SRN). They describe the next development goals for the light source as well as the BESSY II+ upgrade programme and the successor source BESSY III.

  • ERC Consolidator Grant for HZB researcher Robert Seidel
    News
    04.03.2024
    ERC Consolidator Grant for HZB researcher Robert Seidel
    Physicist Dr Robert Seidel has been awarded a Consolidator Grant by the European Research Council (ERC). Over the next five years, he will receive a total of two million euros for his research project WATER-X. Seidel will use state-of-the-art X-ray techniques at BESSY II to study nanoparticles in aqueous solution for the photocatalytic production of "green" hydrogen.
  • Unconventional piezoelectricity in ferroelectric hafnia
    Science Highlight
    26.02.2024
    Unconventional piezoelectricity in ferroelectric hafnia
    Hafnium oxide thin films are a fascinating class of materials with robust ferroelectric properties in the nanometre range. While their ferroelectric behaviour is extensively studied, results on piezoelectric effects have so far remained mysterious. A new study now shows that the piezoelectricity in ferroelectric Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 thin films can be dynamically changed by electric field cycling. Another ground-breaking result is a possible occurrence of an intrinsic non-piezoelectric ferroelectric compound. These unconventional features in hafnia offer new options for use in microelectronics and information technology.
  • 14 parameters in one go: New instrument for optoelectronics
    Science Highlight
    21.02.2024
    14 parameters in one go: New instrument for optoelectronics
    An HZB physicist has developed a new method for the comprehensive characterisation of semiconductors in a single measurement. The "Constant Light-Induced Magneto-Transport (CLIMAT)" is based on the Hall effect and allows to record 14 different parameters of transport properties of negative and positive charge carriers. The method was tested now on twelve different semiconductor materials and will save valuable time in assessing new materials for optoelectronic applications such as solar cells.
  • Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin is a bicycle-friendly employer
    News
    21.02.2024
    Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin is a bicycle-friendly employer
    Since 2017, the German Cyclists' Federation (ADFC) has been awarding the EU-wide "Bicycle-Friendly Employer" certification. The Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin has now been awarded the coveted silver seal. With this, the HZB wants to be even more attractive as an employer, especially for international applicants.

  • Sodium-ion batteries: How doping works
    Science Highlight
    20.02.2024
    Sodium-ion batteries: How doping works
    Sodium-ion batteries still have a number of weaknesses that could be remedied by optimising the battery materials. One possibility is to dope the cathode material with foreign elements. A team from HZB and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin has now investigated the effects of doping with Scandium and Magnesium. The scientists collected data at the X-ray sources BESSY II, PETRA III, and SOLARIS to get a complete picture and uncovered two competing mechanisms that determine the stability of the cathodes.
  • New HZB magazine lichtblick is out
    News
    16.02.2024
    New HZB magazine lichtblick is out
    The new HZB magazine lichtblick is out! Topics are: green hydrogen, construction projects and green construction for Ukraine, ... We invite you to browse through the online edition.

  • BESSY II: Molecular orbitals determine stability
    Science Highlight
    07.02.2024
    BESSY II: Molecular orbitals determine stability
    Carboxylic acid dianions (fumarate, maleate and succinate) play a role in coordination chemistry and to some extent also in the biochemistry of body cells. An HZB team at BESSY II has now analysed their electronic structures using RIXS in combination with DFT simulations. The results provide information not only on electronic structures but also on the relative stability of these molecules which can influence an industry's choice of carboxylate dianions, optimizing both the stability and geometry of coordination polymers.
  • Against anti-democratic endeavours
    News
    05.02.2024
    Against anti-democratic endeavours
    The Alliance of German Science Organisations, to which the Helmholtz Association also belongs, emphatically condemns any kind of anti-democratic and inhuman endeavours.

  • BESSY II: Local variations in the structure of High-Entropy Alloys
    Science Highlight
    30.01.2024
    BESSY II: Local variations in the structure of High-Entropy Alloys
    High-entropy alloys can withstand extreme heat and stress, making them suitable for a variety of specific applications. A new study at the X-ray synchrotron radiation source BESSY II has now provided deeper insights into the ordering processes and diffusion phenomena in these materials. The study involved teams from HZB, the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, the University of Latvia and the University of Münster.
  • Higher measurement accuracy opens new window to the quantum world
    Science Highlight
    17.01.2024
    Higher measurement accuracy opens new window to the quantum world
    A team at HZB has developed a new measurement method that, for the first time, accurately detects tiny temperature differences in the range of 100 microkelvin in the thermal Hall effect. Previously, these temperature differences could not be measured quantitatively due to thermal noise. Using the well-known terbium titanate as an example, the team demonstrated that the method delivers highly reliable results. The thermal Hall effect provides information about coherent multi-particle states in quantum materials, based on their interaction with lattice vibrations (phonons).
  • Nachruf: Wir trauern um Hans-Anton Graf
    Nachricht
    15.01.2024
    Nachruf: Wir trauern um Hans-Anton Graf
    Wir trauern um unseren ehemaligen Kollegen und Leiter des BENSC-Nutzerbüros am damaligen Hahn-Meitner-Institut (HMI, später HZB Nutzerbüro Neutronen) Dr. Hans-Anton Graf. Er verstarb nach einem ereignisreichen Leben und längerer Krankheit am 30. Dezember 2023 im Alter von 78 Jahren. Hans-Anton Graf war 1977 bis 2010 in der Neutronenforschung am HMI/HZB tätig.
  • Prof. Dr. Yan Lu: Developing new types of batteries sustainably
    News
    12.01.2024
    Prof. Dr. Yan Lu: Developing new types of batteries sustainably
    Yan Lu is appointed new Professor of Hybrid Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion at Friedrich Schiller University Jena together with HZB. Congratulations!
  • Focused ion beam technology: a single tool for a wide range of applications
    Science Highlight
    11.01.2024
    Focused ion beam technology: a single tool for a wide range of applications
    Processing materials on the nanoscale, producing prototypes for microelectronics or analysing biological samples: The range of applications for finely focused ion beams is huge. Experts from the EU collaboration FIT4NANO have now reviewed the many options and developed a roadmap for the future. The article, published in “Applied Physics Review”, is aimed at students, users from industry and science as well as research policy makers.
  • Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum 90. Geburtstag, Professor Eichler!
    Nachricht
    01.01.2024
    Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum 90. Geburtstag, Professor Eichler!
    Prof. Jörg Eichler war von 1971 bis 1973 wissenschaftlicher Geschäftsführer des Hahn-Meitner-Instituts (HMI), aus dem später zusammen mit BESSY das HZB entstanden ist.  Am 1. Januar 2024 feierte Prof. Jörg Eichler nun seinen 90sten Geburtstag. Das HZB sendet herzliche Glückwünsche.

  • Green hydrogen: Perovskite oxide catalysts analysed in an X-ray beam
    Science Highlight
    21.12.2023
    Green hydrogen: Perovskite oxide catalysts analysed in an X-ray beam
    The production of green hydrogen requires catalysts that control the process of splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen. However, the structure of the catalyst changes under electrical tension, which also influences the catalytic activity. A team from the universities of Duisburg-Essen and Twente has investigated at BESSY II and elsewhere how the transformation of surfaces in perovskite oxide catalysts controls the activity of the oxygen evolution reaction. 
  • Green hydrogen: Improving iridium catalysts with titanium oxides
    Science Highlight
    13.12.2023
    Green hydrogen: Improving iridium catalysts with titanium oxides
    Anodes for the electrolytic splitting of water are usually iridium-based materials. In order to increase the stability of the iridium catalyst, a team at HZB and a group at HI-ERN have now produced a so-called material library: a sample in which the concentration of iridium and titanium oxides is systematically varied. Analyses of the individual sample segments at BESSY II in the EMIL laboratory showed that the presence of titanium oxides can increase the stability of the iridium catalyst significantly.
  • HZB-Highlights 2022 published
    News
    12.12.2023
    HZB-Highlights 2022 published
    The Highlights 2022 report on a selection of the most important research results and events at HZB.