Scientific Highlights

Datum
22 April 2021
vorschaubild

Uniquely sharp X-ray view

Media Releases Research Using Synchrotron Light Materials Research SwissFEL Future Technologies

A new PSI method allows quantum-physical research on materials with the aid of X-ray lasers.

Read more
20 December 2019
Illustration of the crystal structure of (MA)PbBr3

Ultrafast diffuse x-ray scattering of a hybrid perovskite crystal

Organic–inorganic ‘hybrid’ perovskites have recently gained attention as a low-cost alternative to silicon solar cells. However, many properties of these materials are still poorly understood. In particular, how imperfections in the crystals, which can be both static or dynamic, affect energy transport remains unclear.

Read more
18 September 2018

Bernina status first summer shutdown

The summer shutdown was used to install more missing hardware. With the new components the Bernina instrument will be already very close to the full design capabilities when the exciting time of user experiments will begin in 2019.

Read more
5 September 2018
Figure 1 (a) Transient relative x-ray intensity of the (1.5 0.5 0.5) superlattice reflection of Sr0.97Ca0.03TiO3 upon above bandgap excitation with 40 fs pulses Inset: STO crystal structure as seen along the c-axis. phi measures the antiferrodistortive rotation of the oxygen octahedra (exaggerated) and represents the order parameter. (b) Calculated energy change per STO cubic unit cell as a function of oxygen displacement u/u0 along the in-plane cubic crystal axes resulting from the octahedral rotation at …

Moving Atoms by Photodoping

Understanding how and how fast we can drive atoms to create a structural phase transition is of fundamental interest as it directly relates to many processes in nature. Here we show that a photoexcitation can drive a purely structural phase transition before the energy is relaxed in the material that corresponds to a “warmer” equilibrated state.

Read more
20 June 2018
teaser picture

Movie directors with extra roles

SwissFEL Storage Large Research Facilities

Data storage devices based on novel materials are expected to make it possible to record information in a smaller space, at higher speed, and with greater energy efficiency than ever before. Movies shot with the X-ray laser show what happens inside potential new storage media, as well as how the processes by which the material switches between two states can be optimised.

Read more
6 April 2018

A first glance at the SwissFEL x-rays wave-front

X-ray Free Electron Lasers (XFELs) combine the properties of synchrotron radiation (short wavelengths) and laser radiation (high lateral coherence, ultrashort pulse durations). These outstanding machines allow to study ultra-fast phenomena at an atomic level with unprecedented temporal resolution for answering the most intriguing open questions in biology, chemistry and physics.

Read more
31 January 2018
pcmo zoom.png

Photoinduced transitions in magnetoresistive manganites: A comprehensive view

Using the FEMTO slicing source at SLS, we have studied the structural response during the photoinduced transition in a charge-ordered Pr1-xCaxMnO3 thin films. By investigating the dynamics of both superlattice reflections and regular Bragg peaks, we disentangle the different structural contributions and analyze their relevant time-scales. Comparing these results with studies of the charge order and magnetic dynamics, a comprehensive picture of the phase transition linked to a single critical fluence fc is proposed.

Read more