The Swiss Light Source SLS has been in operation since 2001. This large research facility, which is unique in Switzerland, is currently being upgraded to keep pace with the latest developments in science, technology, engineering and data processing.
Following the modernisation project, called SLS 2.0, novel research and more precise investigations will be possible at the SLS. With this technical overhaul, SLS will remain in the top tier in comparison with other international synchrotron light sources. The project is being funded as part of the ERI Dispatch 2021-2024 programme.
Current operation status
Latest Scientific Highlights and News
Antiferrodistortive and ferroeletric phase transitions in freestanding films of SrTiO3
Epitaxially grown thin films are commonly used to strain engineer electronic properties by the choice of a substrate, and therefore do not match bulk properties (leading to properties that deviate from the bulk material). Free standing ultrathin oxide films are expected to preserve the bulk-like properties due to the absence of substrate influence. However, we show that this expectation is not fulfilled with ultrathin free standing SrTiO3, as they get ferroelectric at 80K.
Mapping the Nanoscale Architecture of Functional Materials
A new X-ray technique reveals the 3D orientation of ordered material structures at the nanoscale, allowing new insights into material functionality.
Sample-position tracking using computer vision algorithms
In a collaboration between PSI and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, a sample position tracking setup based on a computer vision algorithm was developed to automatically track the sample position. A factor of ten improvement on the overlap between consecutive x-ray absorption spectra was obtained when the automatic sample tracking was used.
