Sample Environment

Department of Sample Environment (WI-ASE)

Department Sample Environment (WI-ASE)

The main task of the Sample Environment department is the development and operation of novel sample environment components for BESSY II and the laboratories at HZB. The sample environment components can be permanently integrated into the experimental stations or they can be operated by the department as modular structures in combination with user service.

The development of sample environment components focusses on:

• Complex setups with in situ, operando and multimodal measurement options, e.g. for gas absorption properties, catalytic processes, or (electro)chemical reactions in batteries and fuel cells.
• Control of physical parameters at the sample position such as temperature, magnetic or electric field strength, or pressure.
• Sample positioning and sample change: we prefer modular concepts, a high degree of standardisation for hardware and software interfaces and complete automation of the test procedure.

In addition, the Sample Environment department operates a number of central user laboratories and infrastructure facilities that are available to users for sample characterisation and preparation (see below).

Employees of the WI-ASE department can be found here.

Core competences of WI-ASE

Development of operando and in-situ sample environments

Examples:

• Operando reactor cell for analysing catalytic Fischer-Tropsch reactions with sXAS at the OASE end station (EMIL U48).
• Automated Operando measurement setup for the investigation of powder catalysts with XRD and XANES at the MySpot beamline (D2).
• Operando reactors for analysing thin-film catalysts with GSAXS and GXRD on the MySpot and KMC-2 beamlines (D2).
• Electrochemical cells for operando sXAS investigations at the OASE end station (EMIL U48).

Low-temperature service & cryostat development

Examples of cryostat development:

• LN₂ cryostat for X-ray tomography on the BAMline (D2/KMC-2).
• LN₂ cryostat on the pink beamline at EMIL (UE48).
• LHe cryostat on the VEKMAG beamline (PM2/D5).

Note: our cryogenic service is complemented by the provision of cryogenic tools and infrastructure related to the operation of the sample environment, e.g. automatic cryogenic liquid refill system, liquid helium management, etc.

Development of sample environment magnets, installation and commissioning

Examples of the development, construction and commissioning of sample environment magnets:

• Vector magnet on the VEKMAG beamline (PM2/D5).
• pulsed high-field magnet at beamline UE46.
• EPRoC magnet at beamline UE48/EMIL.
• Split-coil high-field magnet for unstructured superconducting samples at UE46.

Design and construction of sample holders, sample magazines, cooled sample transfer units, differential pumping stages, etc.

Beamlines with supported UHV sample environment devices:

• PEAXIS (U41)
• MX (D14)
• KMC-2 (D9)
• CoESCA (UE52)
• Metrix (U41)
• BelChem (UE56)

User service

Various sample environment devices (e.g. cryostats, furnaces, gas mixture and dosing systems, humidity and pressure regulators, specialized sample cells, gas analytics) and infrastructure facilities for sample characterisation (e.g. UV_VIS spectrometer) and sample preparation (e.g. inert gas hand-held chamber) are available to BESSY-II synchrotron users as a sample environment service. These can be booked by beamline managers via a booking calendar:

• You can find supported infrastructure facilities of the sample environment here.
• You can find equipment that can be borrowed from the sample environment here.
• Booking calendar for beamline and/or project managers can be found here (via the HZB-intranet only)

Further projects and activities:

Project cooperations

• SECoP: Sample Environment Communication Protocol.
• Car-O-Sene: Catalysts for sustainable fuels.
• Rock-IT: Remote-controlled & IT-supported catalysis under operando conditions.
• LEAPS-INNOV: Rotating nanopositioning systems for X-ray tomography @ U41-TXM.

Activities in HZB laboratories (Core-Labs)

• Physical properties lab (former LaMMB)
  In collaboration with the Institute for Quantum Phenomena in Novel Materials (QM-IQM), we offer supplementary laboratories for sample characterisation.
• Gas Adsorption Lab (DEGAS)
  Gas adsorption sample environments that were originally developed for neutron experiments at the HMI are now available for in-situ investigations with X-rays at BESSY after appropriate modifications.

Electronic order form WI-ASE

- in preparation -   (only accessible via the HZB-intranet of the department WI-ASE)

Useful information and links

• "The International Society for Sample Environment" ISSE
• SECoP workshop, HZB 2023
• International Workshop of Sample Environment at Scattering facilities, Potsdam 2018
• International ISSE school for sample environment, HZB 2019

Further useful information

• Levelmeter cryopgenics
• liquefied gas  management
• WIKI Sample Environment

only accessible via the HZB-Intranet of WI-ASE

Publication list (selection)