X-ray laser provides unrivalled insight into the first chemical reaction during radiolysis

13-Jan-2020

Using extremely short X-ray flashes, an international team of researchers has for the first time ever observed details of the ultrafast chemical reaction leading to the formation of aggressive radicals when water is irradiated. The study provides unprecedented insights into the process, which can ...

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Innovative approach could deepen insight into the mysterious handedness of life

13-Dec-2019

Many of the molecular building blocks of life have two versions that are mirror images of one another, known as enantiomers. Although seemingly identical, the two enantiomers can have completely different chemical behaviour – a fact that has major implications in our day-to-day lives. For ...

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Study shows effect of X-ray flashes on sensitive biomolecules

26-Sep-2019

An international research team has observed in real time how football molecules made of carbon atoms burst in the beam of an X-ray laser. The study shows the temporal course of the bursting process, which takes less than a trillionth of a second, and is important for the analysis of sensitive ...

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Research team successfully tests plasma photocathode for the first time

20-Sep-2019

Using a trick modelled on the Trojan Horse, a novel electron source can generate extremely brilliant particle beams. The new method uses plasma acceleration technology and promises 100 to 10,000 times more tightly focused electron beams than conventional accelerators can currently deliver. An ...

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New technique enables investigation of industrially relevant materials and processes in motion

30-Aug-2019

A group of researchers has for the first time performed high-speed microscopy using an X-ray laser at the European XFEL. The team produced a super slow-motion movie of a bursting glass capillary with micrometre spatial resolution. The method allows for observations of processes that take place at ...

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Free-electron laser FLASH coaxes superfluorescent emission from the noble gas xenon

21-Aug-2019

Scientists have for the first time induced superfluorescence in the extreme ultraviolet range. Superfluorescence, or superradiance, could be used to build a laser that does not require an optical resonator. The team headed by DESY’s lead scientist Nina Rohringer used DESY’s free-electron laser ...

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Coupled terahertz device significantly improves electron beam quality

12-Jul-2019

Scientists at DESY have achieved a new world record for an experimental type of miniature particle accelerator: For the first time, a terahertz powered accelerator more than doubled the energy of the injected electrons. At the same time, the setup significantly improved the electron beam quality ...

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New process produces extremely smooth cellulose layers on an industrial scale

11-Jul-2019

With a new spray coating process, very uniform layers of cellulose nanofibers (CNF) can be produced on an industrial scale. X-ray investigations at DESY's research light source PETRA III as well as investigations with an atomic force microscope and neutron scattering show how the layer is ...

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Novel material with high-tech prospects

09-Jul-2019

An international research group led by scientists from the University of Bayreuth has identified a previously unknown material at DESY: Rhenium nitride pernitride. Thanks to a combination of properties that were previously considered incompatible, it looks set to become highly attractive for ...

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Milestone for compact particle accelerators

17-Jun-2019

A team of scientists from DESY and the University of Hamburg has achieved an important milestone in the quest for a new type of compact particle accelerator. Using ultra-powerful pulses of laser light, they were able to produce particularly high-energy flashes of radiation in the terahertz range ...

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