European XFEL

@europeanxfel

An international research facility that generates extremely intense X-ray flashes used by researchers from all over the world. Learn more on www.xfel.eu

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European XFEL@europeanxfel· 24d

European XFEL will be at the heart of a joint fusion research and development effort in Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein, which received funding from the German federal government today. ⚛️🧪 It is part of a hub for laser fusion, with an additional location in Biblis/Hesse. www.xfel.eu/news_and_eve...

Metal research equipment colourfully illuminated

European XFEL@europeanxfel· 29d

🏳️‍🌈European XFEL takes a stand for diversity Research institution makes a visible statement in support of diversity, solidarity and open-mindedness 🏳️‍🌈As part of Hamburg Pride Week, taking place from 24 July to 3 August 2026, European XFEL is joining the “Hamburg zeigt Flagge” initiative.

Regenbogenflaggen hinter rosa Blumen

European XFEL takes a stand for diversity

Research institution makes a visible statement in support of diversity, solidarity and open-mindedness

As part of Hamburg Pride Week, taking place from 24 July to 3 August 2026, European XFEL is joining the “Hamburg zeigt Flagge” initiative alongside more than 400 other organisations displaying rainbow flags in this period. In doing so, the research institution is reaffirming its strong commitment to diversity as a key element of an inclusive working environment.

For the first time this year, a group of European XFEL employees will also jointly visit the Christopher Street Day parade on 1 August in the Hamburg city centre. This year’s event is held under the motto: “Queer solidarity. Taking a stand – for a future without fear!”

Managing Director Nicole Elleuche says: “Our support of Pride Week reflects our conviction that diversity strengthens research, collaboration and the way we live together as a society. We want to take a clear stand and help shape a future in which people can live free from fear and discrimination.”

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Jul 14

Researchers managed to watch chemistry 🧪 unfold atom by atom. The new method for following ultrafast reactions can help understanding photostability in DNA, energy flow in light-harvesting materials, and other processes driven by light. Here's how they pulled it off: www.xfel.eu/news_and_eve...

Experiment on 3-fluoropyridine: a UV pulse (purple beam from the left) excites the molecule, and a delayed X-ray pulse (white beam from the lower right) probes the nitrogen atom (purple sphere). The measurement reveals light-induced charge redistribution (purple cloud) from the perspective of a core-photoelectron from the nitrogen site (concentric rings). The fluorine atom (green sphere) can also be probed and acts mainly as a marker of vibrational dynamics. (Illustration: European XFEL/Enrique Sahagun)

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Jun 29

Ryszard Sobierajski takes over as Chairman of the European XFEL Council, Karel Saksl becomes Vice Chairman European XFEL thanks outgoing Chairman Federico Boscherini. Thomas Feurer, Chairman of the Management Board of European XFEL, congratulated both Sobierajski and Saksl.

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Jun 25

When viruses travel through air, they can quickly start to dry out. Yet many remain infectious—something that is still not fully understood. Now, researchers have directly observed how the shells of viruses can change shape during dehydration. 🦠🧪 www.xfel.eu/news_and_eve... @mpsdhamburg.bsky.social

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Jun 24

European XFEL further expands its support for PhD students Students’ Day offers insights into projects 🧪🔬⚛️ More structure, more exchange, even better results: European XFEL is strengthening PhD training.

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Jun 23

Aluminium foil, shock-compressed with 500,000x the atmospheric pressure. Just before the shock wave reaches the back of the foil, an X-ray pulse takes a snapshot. The experiment reveals: in warm dense aluminium, electrons behave differently than scientists expected. ⚛️🧪 www.xfel.eu/news_and_eve...

The inside of an interaction chamber with a large array of scientific instruments and devices, most of them metallic.

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Jun 22

Kieler Woche 2026: As partners of the KiNSIS programme run by @uni-kiel.de , we had the pleasure of taking part in Kieler Uni Live with a team from the Lighthose. We were really impressed! Great stands, brilliant activities and guests eager to learn. We brought along the #xcoollab’s slime workshop.

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Jun 18

Researchers from European XFEL and @unipotsdam.bsky.social show that ultrashort laser pulses can trigger rapid lattice vibrations in periodically layered metal structures—not primarily by heating the atomic lattice, but through the pressure exerted by hot electrons. ⚛️🧪 www.xfel.eu/news_and_eve...

An illustration of the experiment shows a Pt layer sandwiched by two Cu layers. A light pulse excites the sample and hot electrons in the Pt layer exert pressure onto the Pt/Cu interfaces.

European XFEL@europeanxfel· May 20

Diversity is like a varied #buffet. To celebrate German #Diversity Day 2026 (DDT26), staff from European XFEL came together to eat and chat. The highlighe buffet consisted of traditional dishes that the staff had brought along. Six hundred people from more than 60 countries work at EuXFEL.

Six hundred people from more than 60 countries work on the world’s largest X-ray research laser – not counting the rotating international research teams who travel from all over the world to the Campus to conduct experiments.

European XFEL@europeanxfel· May 5

In experiments with #X-rays in a liquid jet, the surrounding water often produces a much stronger signal than the molecules of interest. 🧪 Scientists overcame this problem by splitting one beam into three. ⚛️ They answered a long-standing question about vitamin B12: www.xfel.eu/news_and_eve...

Artist’s impression of a split beam with vitamin B12 in liquid jet. Shown in blue are the 3 X-ray beams created by a “beam‑splitting off‑axis zone plate”. The central beam passes through a flat liquid jet, the other two act as references. A model of cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12) is depicted in the jet. An optical laser beam (yellow) excites the molecule. The 3 beams are recorded by the detector, which is represented by the tiles in the background. (Illustration: European XFEL/Laura Canil)

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Apr 24

Next generation ahead! Girls’ and Boys’ Day at European XFEL Young people look behind the scenes of the research facility 🧪🔬⚛️ On 23 April, European XFEL welcomed 60 school pupils for insights into the world of research as part of the nationwide Girls’ and Boys’ Day.

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Apr 17

Would you like to join the European XFEL team? 🧪🔬⚛️ This might be your chance: www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/43...

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Apr 14

When #laser flashes hit #matter, electrons are knocked off their orbits around the atomic nuclei. 🧪🔬⚛️ Researchers at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) have observed this #ionization process in more detail. To do so, they combined two state-of-the-art lasers at European XFEL.Details xfel.eu

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Apr 10

Scientists at @europeanxfel.bsky.social have revealed structural evidence for this roaming mechanism for the first time, establishing it as a universal characteristic of photochemical reactions. The study provides key insights how halomethane compounds such as #bromoform impact the #ozonelayer.

Newly elucidated reaction dynamics of bromoform (CHBr₃) in the solvents methanol (top) and methylcyclohexane (bottom). The atoms are represented as follows: carbon (cyan), bromine (pink), hydrogen (grey) and oxygen (red).

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Mar 25

The design of the nozzle is key when delivering liquid jets into a sample chamber. An interdisciplinary 🧪⚛️🔬 group of scientists have created a nozzle that unlocks a new range of experiments by ejecting a longer and more stable stream. www.xfel.eu/news_and_eve...

Microscopy images taken at the SPB/SFX instrument at European XFEL, showing a 4 micrometre-wide (about a tenth of a human hair) compound jet generated by a double-flow focusing nozzle (DFFN) that uses a polymer (PEO) solution as the jet shell (top) and a conventional liquid jet (bottom) from a gas dynamic virtual nozzle (GDVN). The jets have a velocity of ca. 47 m/s (170 km/h) and are hit by the X-ray pulses (red arrows) that arrive at a 1.1 MHz repetition rate. The extended jet lengths have the potential to allow for long pump-probe delays in time-resolved studies. (Illustration: European XFEL)

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Mar 11

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...

Illustration of the pump–probe experiment on fluoromethane (CH₃F): Shortly after an ultrashort optical laser pulse (red) has ionized the molecule and triggered bond breaking, a femtosecond X-ray pulse (blue/white) ejects a core electron (green clouds) from the fluorine atom (green ball). By measuring the electron’s kinetic energy, the experiment tracks time-dependent “chemical shifts” that reveal how the local electronic environment changes as the molecule dissociates–in this case the departure of a hydrogen atom (white ball).

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Mar 8

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.

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.

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Jan 12

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

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.

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Dec 23

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

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.

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Dec 15

"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...

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Dec 4

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.

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Nov 17

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.

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’.

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Nov 7

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.

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Nov 6

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.

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Oct 31

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

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Oct 29

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.

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@europeanxfel· Oct 23

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/

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Oct 10

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

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.”

European XFEL@europeanxfel· Oct 9

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