Delegation from Jordan visited the HZB
From left to right: Prof. Dr. Jan Lüning (HZB, design. GF), Dr. Roland Steitz (HZB), H.E. Dr. Khaled TOUKAN (Chairman of Jordan Atomic Energy Commission), Dr. Antje Vollmer (HZB), Mr Akram Hayjeneh (Jordan Embassy in Berlin), Dr. Samer Kahook (Manager of JRTR Jordan Atomic Energy Commission). © HZB/ K. Fuchs
The delegation visits the neutron hall in Berlin-Wannsee.
Dr. Khaled Toukan and Prof. Jan Lüning © HZB
The Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) will intensify its cooperation with Jordanian large-scale research facilities. This was agreed between Prof. Dr. Jan Lüning and representatives of a high-ranking Jordanian research delegation, which visited the HZB at the end of November 2018.
On 27 November 2018, H.E. Dr. Khaled Toukan, Chairman of the Jordanian Atomic Energy Commission and Director of the synchrotron radiation source SESAME, and Dr. Samer Kahook, Manager of the Jordanian Research and Training Reactor JRTR, visited the HZB. They were accompanied by Akram Hayajneh, 2nd Secretary of the Jordanian Embassy in Berlin.
The delegation was informed about the science, the user service and the operation of the neutron source BER II at the Lise-Meitner-Campus. Afterwards, the designated scientific director of the HZB, Prof. Dr. Jan Lüning, led them through the BESSY II experimental hall in Adlershof. In discussions, the delegation talked with representatives from the HZB about the perspectives of Jordan's large-scale research facilities. Another topic was possible support for the Jordanian research reactor against the background of the final shutdown of the BER II at the end of 2019.
HZB has been engaged in SESAME for many years
In addition, the long-standing cooperation between SESAME and HZB was to be further expanded, said the delegates. The synchrotron radiation source SESAME works with the electron accelerator of BESSY I. After decommissioning of that facility, the components were transferred to Jordan in 2002 and successfully installed in SESAME with the help of experts from Germany and other European countries. These components still run very reliably today, emphasized SESAME Director Dr. Khaled Toukan.
Training opportunities for Jordanian scientists
During the meeting, both sides agreed that there would be further training opportunities for Jordanian scientists at BESSY II.
The HZB is also involved in setting up a new beamline for soft X-ray light at SESAME. As reported, the Helmholtz Association will provide 3.5 million euros for this project. The HZB will build an APPLE II undulator for the new SESAME beamline, train the Jordanian team and support them with remote maintenance.
- Perovskite triple-junction solar cells: Even more efficient with GO/SAM bilayersPerovskite semiconductors efficiently convert sunlight into electrical energy; they are also inexpensive and extremely lightweight. A team at HZB has developed a triple-junction solar cell comprising different perovskite semiconductors, with a novel bilayer of graphene oxide (GO) and a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) as the hole conductor. This bilayer significantly increases both efficiency and long-term stability. The efficiency of the novel perovskite triple-junction solar cell is 27.3% and shows hardly any decline even after more than 770 hours of operation. The study has been published in the renowned journal Joule.
- Green Deal Ukraїna at the Ukraine Recovery ConferenceEnd of June, the Ukraine Recovery Conference (UCR2026) took place in Gdańsk, Poland. Unlike previous editions, URC2026 introduced a dedicated Energy Platform, jointly organised by the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine and the Ministry of Climate and Environment of Poland, which brought together energy-related discussions, announcements, and side events in one place, increasing the visibility and coordination of key energy topics. Green Deal Ukraїna, an initiative coordinated by HZB, organised three events on the sidelines of URC on research and energy topics as part of the conference.
- Magnetic imaging: Micro-flowers increase the local magnetic fieldMaterials with magnetic nanostructures have many potential applications such as in spintronics. To explore such materials, nanoscale magnetic-sensitive imaging techniques are very useful, but up to now only weak magnetic fields could be applied during the imaging process. Now an international collaboration led by Dr. Sergio Valencia, HZB, has developed an approach that overcomes this limitation. The team designed tiny magnetic flux concentrators (MFCs), into which the sample is placed. The geometry of the MFCs resembles a flower with a number of petals which focus the applied magnetic field into its center. This greatly expands the magnetic field range available during imaging, and so the range of magnetic systems that can be investigated. The micro-flowers, enhancing magnetic fields locally, can find application in different nanometric magnetic microscopy techniques.