Carl-Ramsauer-Award for excellent dissertation
Dr. Raphael Jay has received this year's Carl-Ramsauer-Prize of the German Physical Society of Berlin. © Max Threlfall
Dr. Raphael Jay has received this year's Carl-Ramsauer-Prize of the German Physical Society of Berlin (DPGzB). The prize honours outstanding dissertations in physics and related fields and will be awarded during a festive colloquium on 18 November 2020 in the Magnus-Haus.
Dr. Raphael Jay studied ultrafast charge transfer dynamics in iron complexes during his doctorate at the University of Potsdam under the supervision of Prof. Alexander Föhlisch. In the context of the EDAX project at BESSY II, he carried out measurements with ultra-short X-ray pulses, whereby the experimental infrastructure was also used for measurements at the Free Electron Laser LCLS in Stanford.
The complex measurement results were analysed within the HZB Virtual Institute "Dynamic Pathways in multimensional Landscapes" in collaboration with Stockholm University. In future, this type of experiment will also be possible at the European XFEL in Hamburg, which was developed in parallel within the EDAX project. Raphael Jay is now continuing his scientific work at the University of Uppsala.
- BESSY II is back in operation after maintenance shutdownOn 7 September 2026, BESSY II was set into operation after a four-week shutdown. BESSY II is scheduled to resume full user operation on 22 September.
- 3D magnetic field experiment at BESSY II takes spintronics a step further(Fe0.63Ni0.3Pd0.07)3P or FNPP is a magnetic material that exhibits complex magnetic structures even at room temperature. This makes the material of interest for spintronics, a field that could enable data processing with significantly lower energy consumption. One potential application is novel magnetic memory devices. However, generating and modifying the desired structures in a controlled manner remains a challenge to date. A new study led by HZB has now taken a step forward in this regard. They demonstrated at the worldwide unique VEKMAG-Station at BESSY II, that a tiny external B-field in the plane of the magnetic patterns is sufficient to change them.
- Confirmed figures for the first time: Investments in BESSY are worthwhile for Berlin and GermanyAn impact analysis by DIW Econ demonstrates the scientific and economic value of BESSY II. Every euro invested yields three euros for Germany and as much as ten euros for the State of Berlin. Furthermore, the study provides an economic forecast for the construction of BESSY III.
The impact analysis was presented on 3 September 2026 to Dr Henry Marx, State Secretary for Science and Research in the Berlin Senate. He supports the investment and is a strong advocate for BESSY III.