Thorsten Kamps is Professor of Accelerator Physics at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

© HZB/P. Dera

On 24 May 2018, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HUB) and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) jointly appointed Thorsten Kamps to the Professorship of “Accelerator physics – Generation and Characterisation of High Brightness Electron Beams”. Kamps heads a workgroup at the Institute for Accelerator Physics of HZB. He and his team develop a key component for new accelerator facilities, namely high brightness electron sources.

Thorsten Kamps’ duties as a professor include providing courses for students at Humboldt-Universität. He feels it is important for students to gain more than just a theoretical understanding of the various aspects of electron sources. “The accelerators at HZB offer many interesting possibilities for students to get themselves actively into the subject by working on case studies,” Professor Kamps says. “I hope many new ideas will culminate from this exchange.”

Thorsten Kamps studied physics at the University of Dortmund and earned his PhD at HU Berlin. As a postdoc, Kamps worked at the Royal Holloway University of London, after which he joined the accelerator team at the synchrotron BESSY II. Since 2012, Kamps has headed the HZB workgroup “High Brightness Electron Sources” which, among other things, is developing an electron source for the project bERLinPro (prototypes of an energy recovery linear accelerator).

“Accelerator physics at HZB has experienced quite a boost in recent years. In Berlin, an international, creative team has come together that is researching and testing unique new accelerator technologies. With the professorship, this trend becomes even more visible,” says Thorsten Kamps.

(sz)

  • Copy link

You might also be interested in

  • Saskia Vormfelde appointed new Administrative Director at HZB
    News
    01.09.2025
    Saskia Vormfelde appointed new Administrative Director at HZB
    Saskia Vormfelde begins her term of office as Administrative Director at HZB on 1 September. She is moving from Freiburg ISE to Berlin.

  • Berlin Science Award goes to Philipp Adelhelm
    News
    24.07.2025
    Berlin Science Award goes to Philipp Adelhelm
    Battery researcher Prof. Dr. Philipp Adelhelm has been awarded the 2024 Berlin Science Award. He is a professor at the Institute of Chemistry at Humboldt University in Berlin (HU) and heads a joint research group at HU and the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB). The materials scientist and electrochemist is investigating sustainable batteries, which play a key role in the success of the energy transition. He is one of the leading international experts in the field of sodium-ion batteries.
  • Helmholtz Doctoral Award for Hanna Trzesniowski
    News
    09.07.2025
    Helmholtz Doctoral Award for Hanna Trzesniowski
    During her doctoral studies at the Helmholtz Centre Berlin, Hanna Trzesniowski conducted research on nickel-based electrocatalysts for water splitting. Her work contributes to a deeper understanding of alkaline water electrolysis and paves the way for the development of more efficient and stable catalysts. On 8 July 2025, she received the Helmholtz Doctoral Prize, which honours the best and most original doctoral theses in the Helmholtz Association.