Archive of 2020

Dec. 09, 2020
Femtochip: paving the way to innovative lasers

EU-funded research project on femtolasers could turn the field around

Dec. 01, 2020
PETRA III points possible ways to better RNA vaccines

The pharmaceutical company BioNTech and the University of Mainz are conducting research with other partners on the EMBL beamline

Nov. 26, 2020
FLASH reveals ultrafast dynamics of photocatalysis

Free electron laser study sheds light on the mechanism and timescale of the photocatalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide on titanium oxide

Nov. 24, 2020
Melanie Schnell to receive 2020 B.H. Wiik Prize

Melanie Schnell is to be awarded the 2020 Bjørn H. Wiik Prize. The professor of physical chemistry will receive this prestigious science prize, awarded by the research centre DESY, for ...

Nov. 20, 2020
Research team at Universität Hamburg works on new COVID-19 rapid test

Test promises to be inexpensive, fast and portable

Nov. 10, 2020
Supermicroscope for Protein Crystals

Combination of techniques locates microcrystals for structural analysis

Nov. 10, 2020
Live view into light-induced polymerisation

PETRA III makes light-induced interlinking of plastics visible for the first time

Nov. 06, 2020
New Helmholtz Young Investigator Group on Laser-Matter Interactions

Research will establish time-resolved spectroscopy of photo-induced electron dynamics

Nov. 05, 2020
Synthetic mini-antibody might stop coronavirus

Scientists identify promising candidate to combat COVID-19

Jul. 09, 2020
Producing periodic plasma in polystyrene colloidal crystals by intense lasers

Study with picosecond resolution at a XFEL

Oct. 28, 2020
DESY Innovation Factory – Kick-off for integrated technology and start-up centre

Science as a driver for innovation: DESY is building a technology and start-up centre in the heart of the future Science City Hamburg Bahrenfeld site. This major project – the first ...

Oct. 27, 2020
How deadly parasites ‘glide’ into human cells

X-ray analysis reveals structure of molecular machinery of malaria and toxoplasmosis pathogens

Oct. 19, 2020
Zeptoseconds: New world record in short time measurement at PETRA III

Physicists from Frankfurt, Hamburg and Berlin track the propagation of light in a molecule

Oct. 19, 2020
Scientists recreate Earth´s mantle in the lab

High-pressure, high-temperature investigation of real rock reveals unexpected behaviour at more than 1000 kilometres depth

Oct. 09, 2020
Unusual composition Na3N8 produced under extreme conditions

Nitrogen, the most abundant element in the Earth’s atmosphere, is an inert and stable substance which rarely reacts with other materials at ambient conditions. Still, ...

Oct. 02, 2020
Study shows possible new way to create DNA base pairs

Study shows possible new way to create DNA base pairs

Oct. 01, 2020
How nature is inspiring a completely new material concept

How nature is inspiring a completely new material concept

Sep. 30, 2020
Noble metal clusters enhance performance of catalysts

X-ray analysis reveals position of individual platin atoms on the substrate

Sep. 24, 2020
A Toggle Switch for Catalysis

Measurements by TU Wien at DESY explain electrochemical reaction in detail

Sep. 21, 2020
Science@FELs 2020 virtual conference attracted record attendance

Biannual conference hosted by DESY and XFEL this year went online

Jun. 25, 2020
PETRA III helps to identify a new kind of protein in Plasmodium falciparum

Unravelling the secrets of the malaria parasite

Sep. 16, 2020
Liquid water at 170 degrees Celsius

X-ray laser reveals anomalous dynamics at ultra-fast heating

Sep. 15, 2020
Aminoff Prize for Henry Chapman

DESY Lead Scientist honoured for Structural Biology with X-ray Lasers

Sep. 08, 2020
High-pressure study advances understanding of promising battery materials


X-ray investigation shows systematic distortion of the crystal lattice of high-entropy oxides

Sep. 07, 2020
Hydrochloric acid boosts catalyst activity

X-ray investigation reveals altered structure of enhanced catalyst material

Sep. 04, 2020
New order in the nanoparticle world

A research team from the Universität Hamburg, DESY, the Cluster of Excellence CUI and the Freie Universität Berlin has found a new way of arranging gold nanoparticles in the form of ...

Sep. 01, 2020
The bacteria whisperer

DESY's new Lead Scientist Holger Sondermann eavesdrops on bacterial colonies

Aug. 27, 2020
Unconventional gold nano-crystals reveal their inner structure

X-ray study shows path towards better chemical catalysts

Aug. 25, 2020
Europe's new extremely brilliant X-ray source opens for scientific users

The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility's fourth-generation light source hails a new era of X-ray science

Aug. 24, 2020
PETRA III provides new insights into Covid-19 lung tissue

Researchers led by Göttingen University develop new three-dimensional imaging technique to visualise tissue damage

Aug. 13, 2020
Milling towards Green Chemistry

Real-time X-ray investigations reveal strong influence of milling equipment on mechanochemical reactions

Jun. 17, 2020
Experiments at PETRA III confirm 90 year-old theory

Radiation pressure with recoil

Aug. 12, 2020
Coupled nanoscale antennas pave the way for lightwave electronics

Integrated lightwave electronic circuits allow the absolute phase of a light wave to be determined

Aug. 11, 2020
Study at FLASH: XUV lasing from exploding noble-gas nanoclusters

New mechanism of XUV light amplification

Jul. 30, 2020
Nanocrystals arrange themselves to form new lattices

Tiny structure that conducts electricity anisotropically offers foundation for new electronic components

Jul. 29, 2020
3D-view of the nanocosm

German-Swedish project XStereoVision investigates nucleation, growth, and assembly of nanoparticles in 3D

Jul. 13, 2020
Synthesis of optical waveforms promises a "brighter" future for attosecond science

Custom-tailored waveforms and pulse length

Jul. 09, 2020
FLASH2020+ technical design phase started

Making FLASH brighter, faster and more flexible

Jun. 10, 2020
Topping out ceremony for the Start-up Labs Bahrenfeld

First flagship for Science City Bahrenfeld nears completion

Jun. 03, 2020
Scientists discover new forms of feldspars

High-pressure experiments reveal unknown variants of common mineral

Jun. 02, 2020
New measurement at PETRA III exacerbates old astrophysics problem

Two prominent X-ray emission lines of highly charged iron have puzzled astrophysicists for decades: their measured and calculated brightness ratios always disagree. This ...

May. 29, 2020
Two colour technique reveals how X-ray lasers damage biomolecules

Step to a fuller understanding of how X-ray flashes modify the structure of proteins

May. 27, 2020
Investigation of new ways of administering drugs such as possible coronavirus treatments

Taking medicine – the right way

May. 26, 2020
Scientists take important step towards quantum molecular movies

Electrons’ ballet in real time

May. 25, 2020
Munch’s “The Scream”: Moisture destroying work of art

Research team discovers key to better conservation of the painting

May. 06, 2020
Record compression delivers ultra-short laser pulses

New possibilities for ultra-fast physics and plasma acceleration

May. 04, 2020
Henry Chapman becomes a Fellow of the Royal Society

X-ray laser pioneer elected into the oldest scientific society in the world

Apr. 24, 2020
High-throughput measurements show binding to key protein of the virus

X-ray screening identifies potential candidates for corona drugs

Apr. 17, 2020
PETRA III study: Researchers solve puzzle of Compton scattering

Light can be used to knock electrons out of atoms, with light particles and electrons bouncing off each other like two billiard balls – Compton scattering. Why electrons can even be ...

Apr. 16, 2020
Temperature can regulate wetting properties of sprayed latex surfaces

A Swedish-German research team has been using DESY’s X-ray source PETRA III to investigate how surface coatings can be made to attract or repel water using tailor-made latex ...

Apr. 06, 2020
HEXTOF at FLASH - Merging time-resolved photoemission techniques into a new instrument

In the quest to gain predictive understanding of the functionality of condensed matter systems, the energy and momentum analysis of photoemitted electrons provide the most ...

Mar. 25, 2020
Research team will X-ray coronavirus proteins

Screening could greatly accelerate the search for a drug

Mar. 23, 2020
User operation at PETRA III and FLASH suspended

The DESY site in Hamburg will remain open

Mar. 24, 2020
Study at PETRA III: Multiple ionisation of carbon anions

Negatively charged atomic ions are highly correlated atomic systems in which the extra electron is only weakly bound to the neutral atomic shell. Some types of atoms, such as ...

Mar. 23, 2020
Proof of concept for cascaded terahertz accelerator using long pulses

Tiny double accelerator recycles energy

Feb. 27, 2020
Plastic from Wood

X-ray analysis points the way to lignin-based components made to measure

Feb. 25, 2020
Water – secrets of the strangest liquid of the world

Nearly 200 researchers meet at DESY WATER WEEK to draft a framework for the planned Centre for Molecular Water Science

Feb. 25, 2020
X-rays show birth of semiconductor for blue LEDs

Gallium nitride is the second most important semiconductor material after silicon

Feb. 17, 2020
Research team tracks ultra-high-speed quantum interferences in electron shells

Electrons in Motion

Feb. 17, 2020
Francesca Calegari is vice chair of the new international network 'AttoChem'

Francesca Calegari, leading scientist at DESY and professor at the Universität Hamburg, is vice chair of a new EU-funded international network on attosecond chemistry. ...

Feb. 04, 2020
Double X-ray vision helps tuberculosis and osteoporosis research

Combination measurement shows distribution of metals in biological samples

Jan. 31, 2020
Tuneable self-organisation of liquid crystals in nanopores

Innovative path to novel materials with adaptive electrical and optical properties

Jan. 30, 2020
Research team finds possible new approach for sleeping sickness drugs

X-ray laser reveals structure of a key enzyme of the parasite Trypanosoma brucei

Jan. 29, 2020
Record participation at user meetings of the Hamburg research light sources

More than 1300 participants from 28 countries have registered

Jan. 10, 2020
X-ray laser provides unrivalled insight into the first chemical reaction during radiolysis

Researchers observe ultrafast birth of free radicals in water