PHOTON SCIENCE

LVP-XPRESS – Large Volume Press X-ray Probe for Research in Extreme Synthesis and Planetary Studies

PETRA IV Phase-I Beamline | Anticipated start of user operation: 2033

What is LVP-XPRESS?

LVP-XPRESS (PB11) is a next-generation experimental station at PETRA IV designed to study materials under extreme conditions — similar to those found deep inside planets or during advanced industrial processing.

Using intense high-energy X-rays and powerful large-volume presses, researchers can observe how materials behave while being compressed and heated to very high pressures and temperatures. Unlike conventional laboratory experiments, LVP-XPRESS allows scientists to see structural changes inside millimetre-sized samples in real time.

Compared to its predecessor at PETRA III (P61B), LVP-XPRESS will provide:

• Significantly brighter X-ray beams for faster and more precise measurements
• High-speed 3D imaging of materials while under load
• More complete structural information during deformation and synthesis
• Improved insight into stress, texture, and phase transformations

LVP-XPRESS will enable breakthroughs in geoscience, materials research, high-pressure chemistry, and industrial innovation — helping scientists understand how materials form, transform, and perform under extreme environments.

Beamline Concept & Scientific Motivation

LVP-XPRESS will be the dedicated high-energy Large Volume Press beamline at PETRA IV. It builds directly on the scientific success of the P61B LVP station at PETRA III and transforms it into a full undulator-based beamline with order-of-magnitude higher brilliance, full 2D angle-dispersive diffraction, and high-speed tomography capabilities.

For more than three decades, DESY has hosted in situ large-volume high-pressure research, from DORIS (MAX80, MAX200x) to the Aster-15 LVP at P61B (PETRA III). LVP-XPRESS represents the next-generation infrastructure for extreme conditions research at PETRA IV.

The beamline addresses growing demand in:

• Geosciences: Deep Earth and planetary interior processes
• Materials Science: Advanced functional materials and metallurgy
• High-Pressure Chemistry: Reaction pathways and synthesis
• Industrial Research: Processing under extreme P–T conditions

The focus remains on millimetre-scale samples under extreme pressure and temperature, enabling experiments beyond the scope of micro-anvil or DAC facilities.

Key Transformative Improvements

• Order-of-magnitude increase in usable monochromatic flux (40–120 keV range) via cryogenic undulator source.
• Transition from ED-XRD (P61B) to full 2D AD-XRD, enabling complete Debye-Scherrer rings.
• Beam flexibility: from micro-focus (~1 µm²) for DSCT to large beams (up to 3 × 3 mm²) for whole-sample imaging.
• Fast CRL transfocator switching (<1 s) for automated diffraction/imaging mode toggling.

Scientific Capabilities

Diffraction:

• Powder and multi-grain diffraction
• Radial diffraction for stress and texture
• Full azimuthal strain analysis
• Pair Distribution Function (PDF) on melts and glasses

Imaging & Tomography:

• Absorption contrast imaging
• Phase contrast imaging
• Diffraction/Scattering Computed Tomography (DSCT)
• 4D time-resolved tomography (sub-second acquisition)

Beamline Layout

LVP-XPRESS is located in sector 1 of the PETRA IV North Hall (46g). The former damping wigglers are replaced by an RF section and a cryogenic CPMU-18 undulator optimized for high-energy flux.

New optical components include:

• Bent-Laue Double Crystal Monochromator (BL-DCM)
• Dual CRL transfocator systems (pre-focus and focus/defocus)
• Heat-load filters, fast shutters, and precision slit systems

Fig. 1. Schematic layout of LVP-XPRESS at PETRA IV.

Experimental Hutches

EH2 – Aster-15 LVP (~70% beam allocation)

• Routine synthesis and deformation studies
• Radial diffraction & texture analysis
• Ultra-high P–T generation
• Optimized detector distances (1–3 m) for large 2θ coverage

EH2 remains compatible with offline operation when beam is delivered to EH1.

EH1 – Paris-Edinburgh & Portable LVPs (~30% beam allocation)

• PDF measurements on melts and glasses
• Diffraction/Scattering CT (DSCT)
• High-speed 4D tomography
• Compatibility with user-supplied compact presses

Fig. 2. Representative diffraction and tomography modes in EH2 and EH1.

Detectors

LVP-XPRESS will operate exclusively in angle-dispersive geometry with:

• High-energy photon-counting CdZnTe detectors
• High-frame-rate integrating area detectors
• Zero-noise high-speed cameras for imaging

Compared to P61B, this enables complete diffraction rings, improved strain/texture analysis, higher dynamic range, and millisecond-scale acquisition.

Data & Scientific Computing

PETRA IV operation implies data volumes of several terabytes per day. LVP-XPRESS will provide:

• Automated data reduction pipelines
• Real-time tomographic reconstruction
• Immediate experimental feedback
• Integration with DESY high-performance computing infrastructure

Why LVP-XPRESS Matters for P61B and New Users

• ~10× higher monochromatic flux
• Full 2D AD-XRD instead of ED-XRD
• True diffraction tomography (DSCT)
• Micro-beam mapping down to 1 µm
• High-speed 4D tomography under load
• Expanded strain and texture capabilities

P61B → PB11 Evolution

PB11 LVP-XPRESS represents the natural technological evolution of the P61B LVP station. The table below summarizes the key performance and capability upgrades enabled by PETRA IV.

PB11 is not merely an upgrade in flux — it fundamentally expands the experimental parameter space for large-volume high-pressure research.

Summary

LVP-XPRESS secures DESY’s leadership in large-volume high-pressure research and establishes PETRA IV as one of the few facilities worldwide combining large-volume presses, high-energy AD-XRD, diffraction tomography, and millisecond time resolution within a single integrated platform.