Research

With its globally unique research infrastructure, PSI offers unrivalled opportunities for cutting-edge national and international research.

The main areas of research at PSI

Future technologies

New technologies are the driving force behind an innovative society. At PSI, researchers are laying the necessary foundations for this.

Energy and Climate

How can Switzerland become fit for a climate-neutral energy future? Researchers at PSI are looking for answers.

Health Innovation

New methods for diagnosis and therapy are at the centre of medical research and development at PSI. PSI works very closely with universities, clinics and the pharmaceutical industry.

Fundamentals of Nature

What holds our world together at its core: At PSI, researchers investigate the basic structures of matter and the fundamental principles of nature.

Overview

Recent highlights from our research

Gantry 3 at the Center for Proton Therapy at PSI. With the help of this rotating treatment apparatus, cancer patients are irradiated with protons to destroy tumours.

19.09.2024

•Health Innovation

•7 min

Tumour irradiation, individualised daily

Proton therapy

A PSI feasibility study shows: Even in everyday clinical practice, treatment can be adapted daily. Thus, the tumour will always be treated with exactly the right dose of radiation.

16.08.2024

•Energy and Climate

•9 min

Where should hydrogen be produced in the future?

Researchers at PSI have been looking into where the hydrogen for a future hydrogen economy should be produced and what impact this energy carrier will have on the environment.

13.08.2024

•Future Technologies

•6 min

Researchers show that computer chips have the potential to become even smaller

Nanotechnology

Researchers at PSI reach unprecedented 5 nanometres half pitch resolution with EUV lithography.

Interested in doing research at PSI? Do you want to use our infrastructure for cutting-edge research?

Find out more about our large-scale research facilities and other research centres.

SwissFEL – Swiss X-ray Free Electron Laser

SINQ – Swiss Spallation Neutron Source

CHRISP – Swiss Research Infrastructure for Particle Physics

Research Centers & Labs

Our research and service centres conduct internationally recognised cutting-edge research in the natural and engineering sciences and make highly complex large research facilities available to science and industry for their own research projects.

Overview

Scientific Highlights from our Centers

02.10.2024

•Large research facilities

Recognition at MNE 2024 Micrograph Contest

Nanotechnology

SLS

People

The MNE conference is the flagship event of the International Society for Micro- and Nanotechnology (iMNEs). The research fields covered by the MNE conferences have consistently driven advancements in the development of smaller and smaller structures. To emphasize the significance of micrographs in this field, the conference features a micrograph contest, sponsored and hosted by Zyvex Labs. Entries are judged based on both their technological relevance and artistic merit.

This year, Peng Qi from the X-ray Nano Optics group, LXN, CPS, earned third place and an honorable mention for his two submitted images.

30.08.2024

•Energy and Climate

Uncovering the secrets of rapid and green metal-organic framework synthesis

Using ATR-IR spectroscopy and high-energy XRD, we have studied the mechanism of ambient temperature aqueous synthesis of Zn-MOF-74. Starting from the need to change Zn precursor to disentangle signals in ATR-IR spectroscopy, we also developed a rapid synthesis of Zn-MOF-74 with Zn perchlorate.

29.08.2024

•Energy and Climate

Carbenium ions in the methanol-to-olefins process

The methanol-to-olefins process converts methanol into hydrocarbons over zeolite-based catalysts following a dual-cycle reaction mechanism within the paradigm of an hydrocarbon pool chemistry. In this work, we use operando DRIFTS/GC to correlate the nature of species residing within the porosity of zeolites (DRIFTS) and the products distribution (GC).

Upgrade project SLS 2.0

In the year 2001, the Swiss Light Source SLS first went into operation. Since then, the large research facility has been available to a broad international community in Switzerland and worldwide. The upgrade of the SLS opens up new possibilities for their cutting-edge research.

Upgrade project IMPACT

The HIPA proton accelerator facility has been in operation since 1974. The IMPACT upgrade project aims to achieve two goals: to increase the intensity of muons for research and to expand the production of radionuclides for targeted tumour therapy.

ESI Platform

New pathways to the energy system oft he future: Step by step between now and the year 2050, the Swiss energy system is set to be overhauled. Science and industry can test promising solutions on the ESI platform.

Overview