Location of beamline P61 and end station P61B in the Paul P. Ewald hall.
The Large Volume Press (LVP) extreme conditions station uses synchrotron X-ray radiation in a continuous energy range of 30–160 keV. The station combines ED-XRD and Radiography Imaging for in situ measurements under extreme conditions of high pressures and temperatures.
For experiments involving the LVP, users with limited prior experience are strongly encouraged to contact the beamline team a couple of months before beamtime to discuss their sample environment requirements and training needs. Early preparation significantly improves the chances of a successful experiment and reduces the burden on the beamline staff.
Regular proposals: CLOSED
Long-term proposals: CLOSED
Offline LVP proposals: CLOSED
Next call deadline: 1 Sept 2026
News
General:
- [!] The next call deadline for proposals is 1 Sept. 2026 — please plan accordingly.
- PETRA III is shut down between Sept 2026 and April 2027 for maintenance.
- The guest house is usually fully booked; register early.
P61B:
- [!] Please be patient, due to maintenance available dates for offline experiments in the LVP will be posted only in early October 2026, for access between Nov 2026 and March 2027.
Remote Data Access:
Download the guide here.
Upcoming Meetings:
- EHPRG, Montpellier (France) — 23–28 Aug 2026
- SNI Conference, Hamburg — 08–10 Sept 2026
P61B Workshop:
Urgent request!
Hold the date for the DESY User Meeting (25-29 Jan 2027) and consider visiting in person! The future of P61B LVP at PETRA IV will be announced and discussed with you!
Link to beamline talks and posters.
Submit a project proposal for offline experiments — up to 5 days, one or multiple visits. Apply at least one month before your planned visit.
Available periods:
08 – 12 Dec 202516 – 27 Feb 202602 – 25 March 202618 – 22 May 202615 – 19 June 202610 – 14 August 2026
No user support on weekends.
Apply for use of the beamline benchtop X-ray diffractometer. Applications accepted at any time.
Apply for use of the beamline vacuum furnace. Applications accepted at any time.
Updated 2025.05.26
Application of high load and temperature may cause WC anvils to break, resulting in a shock to the press stages and a blow out of materials. Please follow the rules below:
- During heating or deformation, someone must be present in the CH. (Unattended compression and decompression is permitted.)
- UHP experiments (>30 GPa) MUST use a graphite or aluminium plate attached to the diamond exit window to shield it from blow-out shrapnel.
- Do not increase the press load significantly beyond the sample pressure in the proposal. Recognize when pressure generation becomes inefficient and do NOT increase load further.
- Always enter a complete pressure profile for the master ram with an up-ramp, a dwell, and a down-ramp, to ensure the PLC is in control of the rams at all times.
Should a blow out occur during a normal experiment, your local contact will assess and resolve any issues. Be mindful that some beamtime may be lost after a blowout.
The BMBF funded the project 05K16WC2 Aster-15 LVP, titled "Erweiterung der Druckbereiche der In-Situ-Röntgenbeobachtung mit der Großvolumen-Hochdruckapparatur an der PETRA-III-Extension des Deutschen Elektronen-Synchrotrons DESY" from University Bayreuth (T. Katsura).
