European XFEL

For the first time, the Small Quantum Systems (SQS) instrument at European XFEL delivered detailed insights into transient states during chemical reactions. Read how the researchers from @icmm-csic.bsky.social, European XFEL and other institutions achieved this: www.xfel.eu/news_and_eve...

The International Women’s Day on 8 March is a special occasion to recognise and celebrate the brilliant and indispensable contributions of women in our workplace and beyond. “Innovation and progress thrive when diversity is embraced. Women play a key role in ground-breaking scientific discoveries and in solving global challenges in research, in business, and in society”, says Nicole Elleuche, Managing and Administrative Director of European XFEL. Following a quote by Marie Curie: “`One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done´, there is an ongoing need for women to be recognised and empowered in science and beyond”, she emphasises. Making the invaluable work in the field of international research visible is a cause that European XFEL promotes not only on International Women's Day. The façade of the guesthouse features a portrait of Rosalind Franklin, a pioneer in DNA research. Nicole Elleuche herself draws attention to the often-ground-breaking contributions of women to science through lectures (most recently in January). In addition, European XFEL also participated in the EIROforum initiative for International Women's Day in STEM in February this year.

On International Women’s Day on 8 March European XFEL celebrates the impact of women. “Women play a key role in ground-breaking scientific discoveries and in solving global challenges in research, in business, and in society”, says Nicole Elleuche, Managing Director of European XFEL.

Schematic representation of the microscopic structure of superionic water, in which the oxygen atoms form a solid crystal lattice, while hydrogen ions are virtually free to move within it. With the aid of powerful lasers, this extreme state, which otherwise only occurs inside large planets, could be measured experimentally. (Image: Greg Stewart / SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory) An international research team led by scientists from the University of Rostock, CNRS-École polytechnique in France, and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf has discovered a previously unknown form of superionic water for the first time. The researchers have succeeded in experimentally discovering an exotic, highly electrically conductive phase at the European XFEL and the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at SLAC in the USA. It may occur inside ice giants such as Uranus and Neptune. Temperatures of several thousand degrees Celsius and pressures of millions of atmospheres: superionic water only forms under extreme conditions. These conditions transform water into an unusual state in which hydrogen ions move freely through a solid lattice of oxygen atoms.  Milestone in planetary research
Since this so-called phase conducts electrical current particularly well, it is associated with the formation of the unusual magnetic fields of ice giants. Due to the large amounts of water inside Uranus and Neptune, superionic water could even be the most common form of water in our solar system.

Researchers discovered a previously unknown form of superionic water. The researchers have succeeded in experimentally discovering an exotic phase at the the European XFEL and the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at SLAC. It may occur inside ice giants as #Uranus and #Neptune. Details: www.xfel.eu

Eine künstlerische Version des unterirdischen Beschleunigertunnels zeigt eine Winterlandschaft im Tunnel. dort steht ein Tannenbaum. Schilder wünschen Merry Christmas. Die Karte trägt zudem Weihnachtsgrüße in vielen anderen Sprachen und die Unterschriften des Management Boards von European XFEL.

With scientific breakthroughs, major facility developments and lively events, 2025 has been an action-packed and successful year. We look forward to discovering what we can achieve together in 2026.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Feurer & Dr. Nicole Elleuche
Shorted version, find whole text on www.xfel.eu

"It's not a shutdown!" some staff are quick to emphasize, because they have indeed been quite busy. While no electrons and photons are currently racing through our tunnels from Hamburg to Schenefeld, here's what has been going on down there over the past six months. www.xfel.eu/news_and_eve...

Purple: employees of European XFEL show their support for people with disabilities. European XFEL is committed to fostering an inclusive work environment, where all staff members can actively, equally, and effectively participate in work life.

Purple: employees of European XFEL show their support for people with disabilities.
European XFEL is committed to fostering an inclusive work environment, where all staff members can actively, equally, and effectively participate in work life.

With his long-term project ‘Icons of Research’ (www.arbeitsblende.de), #photographer Christian Lünig aims to link the aesthetics of modern research facilities with the creative parallels between photography and science. With his own visual language and an affinity for #science and #technology from an early age, he developed a new visibility for science: not as an abstract system, but as a sensory, visually impressive and culturally embedded activity. The photographs tell stories – of curiosity and failure, of precision and chance, of the beauty of the inconspicuous. They make science visible – and at the same time comprehensible in the literal sense of the word: as something that touches us. The award-winning works have been travelling around the world for several years as part of the group exhibition ‘CIVILIZATION – THE WAY WE LIVE NOW’.

The Lighthouse becomes an #art #gallery once again: Christian Lünig sets #focus on #research #facilities.
‘Icons of Research’ – the aesthetics of modern research facilities
by Christian Lünig at the Lighthouse Visitor Centre
Opening reception: Wednesday, 19 November 2025, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

We’re proud to share that @EuropeanXFEL, together with our partner #DESY, is co-hosting our first Executive Roundtable at the #FallingWalls #ScienceSummit25 in Berlin! We look forward to the discussions ahead—and to building bridges that make scientific collaboration stronger than ever.

Into #sciencecommunication? Become part of PAERI‘26, too.

sixth international „Public Awareness and Engagement with Research Infrastructures“ conference, PAERI’26. Theme: Navigating Science Communication in a Shifting Landscape.
Registration is open The conference will take place 18-20 March 2026.

The Free and Hanseatic City of #Hamburg and the state of #Schleswig-Holstein today announced their joint support for #fusion -related #research at European XFEL. The commitment is part of a cornerstone paper by the #FusionResearchAlliance of several federal states. The world's largest X-ray research #laser , which stretches from Hamburg to #Schenefeld in Schleswig-Holstein, is ideal for observing the processes involved in #nuclear fusion in detail. “Our X-ray laser flashes allow us to make ultra-fast processes visible,” says Sakura Pascarelli, Scientific Director of European XFEL. “This enables us to observe exactly how #matter behaves as it approaches #fusionconditions – a key to answering unresolved questions in fusion research.” #Extreme states of matter, which otherwise only occur inside stars or during fusion reactions, can be generated at European XFEL using the extremely powerful lasers of #HED-HiBEF [1], one of seven experimental stations at European XFEL. In particular, European XFEL could help to investigate #critical early #stages of the fusion reaction. This is done using the facility's extremely short and intense X-ray laser pulses, which make it possible to study the reactions step by step. This would provide extremely detailed #images from inside fusion experiments, which can reach down to the #atomic level. “The European XFEL was built to be #futureproof ,” says Prof. Thomas Feurer, Chairman of the Management Board of European XFEL. "That's why, in addition to our already excellent experimental facilities, we have space in our experimental hall and our photon tunnels to set up a new experimental station specializing in fusion-related research. We are delighted that the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and the state of Schleswig-Holstein intend to provide significant support for this planned expansion." Overall, research at European XFEL promises answers to a wide range of fusion-related questions.

The Free and Hanseatic City of #Hamburg and the state of #Schleswig-Holstein today announced their joint support for #fusion -related #research at European XFEL. The commitment is part of a cornerstone paper by the #FusionResearchAlliance of several federal states. The world's largest X-ray research #laser , which stretches from Hamburg to #Schenefeld in Schleswig-Holstein, is ideal for observing the processes involved in #nuclear fusion in detail. “Our X-ray laser flashes allow us to make ultra-fast processes visible,” says Sakura Pascarelli, Scientific Director of European XFEL. “This enables us to observe exactly how #matter behaves as it approaches #fusionconditions – a key to answering unresolved questions in fusion research.” #Extreme states of matter, which otherwise only occur inside stars or during fusion reactions, can be generated at European XFEL using the extremely powerful lasers of #HED-HiBEF [1], one of seven experimental stations at European XFEL. In particular, European XFEL could help to investigate #critical early #stages of the fusion reaction. This is done using the facility's extremely short and intense X-ray laser pulses, which make it possible to study the reactions step by step. This would provide extremely detailed #images from inside fusion experiments, which can reach down to the #atomic level. “The European XFEL was built to be #futureproof ,” says Prof. Thomas Feurer, Chairman of the Management Board of European XFEL. "That's why, in addition to our already excellent experimental facilities, we have space in our experimental hall and our photon tunnels to set up a new experimental station specializing in fusion-related research. We are delighted that the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and the state of Schleswig-Holstein intend to provide significant support for this planned expansion." Overall, research at European XFEL promises answers to a wide range of fusion-related questions.

The Free and Hanseatic City of #Hamburg and the state of #Schleswig-Holstein today announced their joint support for #fusion -related #research at European XFEL.
Find more details on www.xfel.eu

With the High-Tech Agenda Germany, the German government has set the course for the promotion of fusion-related research in Germany. The action plan ‘Germany on the way to a fusion power plant’ defines eight measures to build the world's first fusion power plant in Germany. Nuclear fusion, as it takes place in the sun, promises an almost inexhaustible source of energy. At its core, it involves the fusion of lighter atoms such as hydrogen, deuterium and tritium into heavier atoms such as helium. This produces huge amounts of energy, which is to be utilised in a power plant. The world's largest X-ray laser, the European XFEL in Schenefeld near Hamburg, is predestined for investigating fundamental processes of fusion. In particular, researchers at European XFEL want to contribute to investigating the critical early phases of fusion-related reactions. Its experimental facilities are equipped with powerful lasers that generate the very high energy densities required to create plasmas, an extremely hot state of matter. Using the extremely short and intense X-ray laser flashes of the European XFEL, the researchers would be able to analyse the reactions taking place step by step. This would provide extremely detailed images of the inside of fusion experiments, right down to the atomic level. “With our X-ray laser, we can precisely investigate how fusion-related processes take place,” explains Prof Thomas Feurer, Managing Director and Chairman of the Management Board of European XFEL. “This enables researchers to better understand the complex processes and determine the conditions under which a fusion reaction begins and how it can be optimised.” As early as June 2024, a workshop at European XFEL led to a broad scientific consensus that combining the precise X-ray flashes of European XFEL with powerful lasers could provide new insights that would significantly advance fusion-related research.

European XFEL welcomes the #German government's plans to promote #fusion-related #research - the High-Tech Agenda Germany #HTAD.
The world's largest #X-ray #laser, the European XFEL near #Hamburg, is predestined for investigating fundamental processes of fusion.

Studying foams and the interior of planets with HED HIBEF YouTube video by EuropeanXFEL

Using the two powerful lasers of HED HIBEF, Alejandro Laso from @hzdr.bsky.social tests an imaging method and a new setup for small-angle #X-ray scattering. He is interested in the study of foams. HED HIBEF can also help to understand processes like nuclear #fusion.
youtu.be/hOlkZ2VgxHg?...

Es werde Licht!

European XFEL Geschäftsführer Thomas Feurer stellt heute Abend (23. Oktober, von 18 bis 19.30 Uhr) im Wissenschaftserlebniszentrum Lighthouse die Kraft von Forschungslasern vor.

Der Eintritt ist frei.

Der Vortrag ist auch online zu verfolgen: indico.desy.de/event/49097/

Ice cream comes in many different flavors. But even pure ice, which consists only of water molecules, has been discovered to exist in more than 20 different solid forms or phases that differ in the arrangement of the molecules. The phases are named with Roman numerals, like ice I, ice II or ice III. Now, researchers led by scientists from the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) have identified and described a new phase called ice XXI. The results are published in the journal Nature Materials. The international team of researchers conducted their experiments at European XFEL, the world’s largest X-Ray laser, and DESY’s high energy photon source Petra III. Ice XXI is structurally distinct from all previously observed phases of ice. It forms when water is rapidly compressed to supercompressed water at room temperature and is metastable, meaning it can exist for some time even though another form of ice would be more stable at those conditions. The discovery offers important insights into how high-pressure ice forms. Water or H2O, despite being composed of just two elements, exhibits remarkable complexity in its solid state. The majority of the phases are observed at high pressures and low temperatures.

Water was examined under pressures of up to two gigapascals, which is about 20,000 times more than normal air pressure. This causes ice to form even at room temperature, but the molecules are much more tightly packed than in normal ice. “In this special pressure cell, samples are squeezed between the tips of two opposing diamond anvils and can be compressed along a predefined pressure pathway,” states Cornelius Strohm from the DESY HIBEF team that implemented this set-up at the High Energy Density (HED) instrument of European XFEL. “The structure in which liquid H2O crystallizes depends on the degree of supercompression of the liquid”, says Lee. “Our findings suggest that a greater number of high temperature metastable ice phases and their associated transition pathways may exist, potentially offering new insights into the composition of icy moons”, Rachel Husband from the DESY HIBEF team adds. Sakura Pascarelli, Scientific Director at European XFEL notes: “It is fantastic to see another great outcome from our Water Call, an initiative inviting scientists to propose innovative studies on water. We are looking forward to many more exciting discoveries ahead.”

Warm ice in the X-ray laser
Researchers from the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) explore unusual forms of ice at room temperature under extreme pressure at the @europeanxfel.bsky.social and DESY. Find all details and original source on www.xfel.eu

European XFEL congratulates Nobel Prize winners in chemistry 2025: (from left to right) Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi. Illustration: Niklas Elmehed. © Nobel Prize Outreach

The experiment station SPB/SFX is used to investigate crystalline and non-crystalline matter. A particular emphasis is placed on the determination of three-dimensional structures of biological objects. Examples are biological molecules including crystals of macromolecules and macromolecular complexes as well asviruses, organelles, and cells. Photo: European XFEL / Jan Hosan

Researchers and staff at European XFEL, are glad to hear that Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi have been awared the #NobelPrize in #Chemistry. Samples from Professor Omar M. #Yaghi's lab were examined at EuXFEL in 2022.

#research #congratulations

Thank you @rothlabs.bsky.social for your efforts in building this important bridge between @tubaf.bsky.social and @europeanxfel.bsky.social 🙏

The participants that attended the annual lecture course at European XFEL from 22 September to 26 September were the eleventh group of Freiberg students to take part in this course organized by the international research facility. In the beginning of the week, the students stayed in #Hamburg and visited European XFEL, which is one of the most modern and brightest #X-ray radiation sources in the world. The lecture series ‚#Materials #research with X-ray free-electron lasers (XFEL)', that is dedicated to deepened students’ knowledge about the structure and applications of the X-ray lasers, is led by TU Freiberg Professor Serguei Molodtsov, who is also Scientific Director of European XFEL, and Dr Friedrich Roth from the Institute of Experimental Physics at TU Bergakademie Freiberg. ”This year, we are very happy to have reached a new record with 44 participants. This shows us that we are on the right track with this particularly intensive form of #cooperation,” says Roth.

The participants that attended the annual lecture course at European XFEL from 22 September to 26 September were the eleventh group of Freiberg students to take part in this course organized by the international research facility. In the beginning of the week, the students stayed in #Hamburg and visited European XFEL, which is one of the most modern and brightest #X-ray radiation sources in the world. The lecture series ‚#Materials #research with X-ray free-electron lasers (XFEL)', that is dedicated to deepened students’ knowledge about the structure and applications of the X-ray lasers, is led by TU Freiberg Professor Serguei Molodtsov, who is also Scientific Director of European XFEL, and Dr Friedrich Roth from the Institute of Experimental Physics at TU Bergakademie Freiberg. ”This year, we are very happy to have reached a new record with 44 participants. This shows us that we are on the right track with this particularly intensive form of #cooperation,” says Roth.

44 students of TU Bergakademie Freiberg visited European XFEL as a part of the annual lecture course.
For eleven years now, a unique cooperation has been giving students at TU Bergakademie Freiberg @tubaf.bsky.social #Freiberg an insight into the world of the X-ray free-electron laser (#XFEL).

Last day of our lecture series “Materials Research at X-ray Free-Electron Lasers” @europeanxfel.bsky.social! After 13 sessions, our students are FEL-ready. Huge thanks to all lecturers—and best of luck with the exam! #TUBAF #EuXFEL

The European XFEL has a new electron source installed at the injector on the DESY campus. The new source, called GUN5, was developed and tested at DESY's Photo #Injector Test Facility in Zeuthen (PITZ) and will enable even shorter pulses at the world's largest X-ray laser. Find mor on www.xfel.eu

Serguei Molodtsov, Scientific Director of European XFEL and Thomas Feurer, Managing Director and Chairman of the Management Board of European XFEL signed the agreement with the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University of Kosice, Slovakia. (photo: European XFEL) The University of Kosice is now a member in the series of distinguished universities with which European XFEL co-operates. The framework agreement that has now been concluded gives research groups from the Slovakian university the opportunity to carry out cutting-edge research at European XFEL. Planned are joint scientific projects, the exchange of researchers and collaboration on dissertations. “We are looking forward to intensive collaboration with our Slovakian colleagues,” says Thomas Feurer, Managing Director and Chairman of the Management Board of European XFEL. “We do have very good experiences with many young talents from Slovakia," adds Serguei Molodtsov, Scientific Director of European XFEL. He has given numerous summer schools on research on X-ray lasers and synchrotron radiation in Slovakia and has also been honoured with the gold medal from Pavol Jozef Šafárik University for that. The agreement that has now been signed is the result of the activities of the Slovakian National Contact Point XFEL, which was established this year at the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the University of Kosice. It provides space for the promotion and exchange of students, who can thus familiarise themselves with the research possibilities at European XFEL, the world's largest X-ray research laser. Slovakia is one of the shareholders of European XFEL.

European XFEL and the University of Kosice, Slovakia, have signed a framework agreement for joint co-operation. The agreement gives research groups from the Slovakian university the opportunity to carry out cutting-edge #research at European XFEL.

“We warmly congratulate Beata Ziaja-Motyka on this high honour. Her contributions have greatly promoted research at European XFEL and are very important for our successful collaboration with IFJ PAN, which we are very much looking forward to continue,” says Serguei Molodtsov, Scientific Director at European XFEL.   “Congratulations to Beata Ziaja-Motyka for this exceptional recognition,” says Britta Redlich, Director in charge of Photon Science at DESY. “The Bronze Cross of Merit of the Republic of Poland is a fantastic recognition of her dedication and pioneering contributions to our field and an excellent example that cross-institutional collaboration is a real asset!”   The Bronze Cross of Merit is a state honour recognising outstanding public and scientific contributions in Poland. Ziaja-Motyka was nominated by the President of the Polish Academy of Sciences and decorated by Vice-President Natalia Sobczak, on behalf of the President of the Republic of Poland. The ceremony was attended by distinguished guests from the scientific community and leadership of Poland’s academic institutions.   As a leading researcher in the science of ultrafast processes, Ziaja-Motyka has been instrumental in developing and applying advanced theoretical modelling tools to study transitions in inorganic crystals and magnetic materials occurring within a few femtoseconds. Her work on the demagnetisation of materials using intense X-ray pulses, conducted in close cooperation between European XFEL and IFJ PAN, advances our fundamental understanding of how materials respond to extreme conditions and supports innovations in quantum imaging and next-generation material science.

Congratulations! Prof. Dr. Beata Ziaja-Motyka, Group Leader at the Center for Free-Electron Laser Science at DESY, Full Professor at the Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN), and close partner of European XFEL, has been awarded the Polish. Bronze Cross of Merit. xfel.eu

Using the exceptionally bright and intense X-ray flashes of European XFEL, together with optical lasers, researchers at the SCS instrument tracked changes in barium titanate’s ferroelectric polarization, lattice structure and electronic state under the same experimental conditions – and with a temporal resolution of just 90 femtoseconds. Just 350 femtoseconds after excitation by the laser, the polarization had already changed significantly – without the crystal lattice having had time to vary notably. This decoupling opens up new possibilities for designing future electronic components. (illustration: Tobias Wüstefeld) blue spheres: Ba atoms green sphere: Ti atom red spheres: O atoms red beam: 800 nm optical laser gray beam: XFEL beam violet beam: 266 nm pump optical laser blue beam: 400 nm optical laser (second harmonic generation)

Ferroelectrics are promising candidates for the electronics of tomorrow. An experiment at the world’s largest X-ray laser – the European XFEL in Schenefeld near Hamburg – now shows that their properties can be controlled with high precision at ultrafast time scales –using light. Details: www.xfel.eu

Follow us to the #tunnels.

For more than eight years, the #temperature inside the European XFEL #electron accelerator was minus 271 degrees Celsius. Now, for the first time, the #accelerator has been slowly warmed up to room temperature for mandatory #maintenance and extensive conversion work.

Photo: Rebecca Boll at the SQS (Small Quantum Systems) instrument. European XFEL

An international, interdisciplinary team, succeeded in visualizing the collective trembling of an entire molecule 👉 Read more www.cui-advanced.uni-hamburg.de/cui-advanced... @europeanxfel.bsky.social #DESY @maxplanck.de

An international team of researchers (e.g. slac_lab ) at European XFEL in Schenefeld near Hamburg, Germany has produced the first solid chemical compound of gold and hydrogen - a so-called gold hydride: This discovery contradicts the previous assumption that gold hardly reacts with hydrogen and opens up new perspectives for #chemistry under extreme conditions. Details on www.xfel.eu

An international team of researchers has produced the first solid chemical compound of gold and hydrogen: Under extremely high pressure and temperatures, a so-called gold hydride was formed in experiments at European XFEL in Schenefeld near Hamburg, Germany. This discovery contradicts the previous assumption that gold hardly reacts with hydrogen and opens up new perspectives for chemistry under extreme conditions. Gold is considered one of the most inert metals. But at pressures such as those found in the Earth's interior, the precious metal exhibits new qualities. Researchers at European XFEL's High-Energy Density (HED) Instrument compressed gold to over 40 gigapascals (GPa) using a diamond anvil cell and heated it to approximately 2,500 degrees Celsius using ultrashort flashes from the European XFEL X-ray laser. "We were able to demonstrate that above 40 GPa, the lattice of gold atoms forms a hexagonal close-packed arrangement with disordered hydrogen atoms in the interstices," explains Mungo Frost of the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

An international team of researchers (e.g. slac_lab ) at European XFEL in Schenefeld near Hamburg, Germany has produced the first solid chemical compound of gold and hydrogen so-called gold hydride: This discovery contradicts the previous assumption that gold hardly reacts with hydrogen. xfel.eu

Celebration of Pride Week 2025

At European XFEL, we are proud to be an international, science-driven community where individuality and #diversity are truly valued.
Several European #XFEL staff members have offered to share their stories about being LGBTQI+ in #STEM:
www.xfel.eu/news_and_eve...

Attention #PHD-Students
@europeanxfel.bsky.social offers young researchers direct access to the international scientific community and unique opportunities to help shape cutting-edge research. Most recent proof:the annual "Students' and Science Days" - A three-day conference in the Lüneburg Plains.

Minus 196 degrees Celsius- liquid #nitrogen is perfect for cooling down the ingredients for vegan ice cream in no time at all.
Experience this at the Open Day at European XFEL, the world's largest X-ray research laser, on Saturday, 28 June, 12 noon to 6 pm. Admission is free - programme on homepage!

Groundbreaking experiment at European XFEL: Research team of @University of Rostock and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf ( @www.helmholtz.de HZDR) measured structure of #liquidcarbon for the first time. Find more report in
@nature.com
(DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09035-6).

Impressive teamwork! Thanks @hzdr.bsky.social for your impact at this groundbreaking experiment.