HZB & IKZ bundle their competencies In crystalline energy and quantum materials
The participants after signing the cooperation agreement between IKZ and HZB in corona-conform distance: (from left to right) Dr. Andreas Popp (IKZ), Dr. Manuela Urban (FVB), Dr. Peter Gaal (IKZ), Prof. Dr. Catherine Dubourdieu (HZB), Prof. Dr. Thomas Schröder (IKZ), Prof. Dr. Bernd Rech (HZB), Thomas Frederking (HZB). © Sandra Fischer/HZB
On September 11, 2020, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and the Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung (IKZ) signed a cooperation agreement to advance joint research on energy and quantum materials. As part of the cooperation, new types of X-ray optics for synchrotron radiation sources are also being developed.
IKZ and HZB share a long history of joint collaboration: IKZ scientists use the BESSY II radiation source from the HZB on a regular basis for their material science studies. In turn, the crystal growers of the IKZ develop and manufacture components that bring out the special properties of BESSY II.
"We are very pleased that we can strengthen our close cooperation with the cooperation agreement,” says Prof. Bernd Rech, scientific director at the HZB. “At BESSY II we offer a variety of x-ray analytical methods for the analysis of complex material systems. As part of our cooperation, we can use our complementary competencies specifically to jointly develop research areas in energy research and quantum technologies.”
Prof. Thomas Schröder, scientific director at the IKZ, also emphasizes the opportunities that the cooperation between the two research institutions allows: “The IKZ is very interested in initiating joint R&D projects on materials for photovoltaics and power electronics with the scientists of the HZB to maximize our impact in this research area.“ Since Prof. Schröder himself spent part of his career in synchrotron research, there is also a personal affinity towards materials and methods development for large-scale research facilities. “Today I am very happy that IKZ can start new R&D projects with BESSY II in order to support the synchrotron sources with our crystalline materials, for example through active and passive X-ray optics.”
Short description of IKZ:
The Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung in Berlin-Adlershof is an international competence center for science, technology, service and transfer in the field of crystalline materials. The research and development spectrum ranges from basic and applied research to pre-industrial research tasks. The IKZ develops innovations in crystalline materials through its expertise in plant engineering, numerical simulation and crystal growth to achieve crystalline materials of the highest quality with tailored properties. The unique selling point of the institute is the research on volume crystals. This work is accompanied by research and development on nanostructures and thin films as well as strong theoretical and experimental research into materials.
- Only at BESSY II worldwide: IR nanoscopy at very long THz wavelengthsThe team at the IRIS beamline at BESSY II has created a new experimental option: They achieved infrared nanoscopy with a spatial resolution of around 50 nm at very long THz wavelengths. This was possible thanks to a temporal pattern of light pulses known as the low-alpha operating mode at BESSY II. Worldwide, BESSY II is the only synchrotron light source at which users could perform nanoscopy in a single setup from 25 to 4000 cm-1, a unique opportunity for ultra-broadband characterisation of complex materials at the nanoscale in both the life sciences and materials sciences.
- Ultrafast demagnetisation - Thinner iron, stronger effectThe thinner an iron film, the more easily it can be demagnetised by a laser pulse. Researchers at the University of Duisburg-Essen, working with Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin and other partners, have discovered why: the key lies in the magnetic order at the material's interfaces. In the long term, these findings could contribute to the development of new technologies for magnetic data storage. The results have been published in the scientific journal Advanced Science.
- Blind spot for the arrangement of atomsArtificial intelligence is increasingly being used to predict the properties of new materials. A research team from Jena and the United States now shows in a study published in the journal Nature Computational Science that when language models are used for this purpose, they reliably identify which types of atoms a material contains. However, they make insufficient use of information about how those atoms are arranged in space. Neither larger models nor additional training data resolve this weakness. For material properties that depend strongly on structure, AI models specifically designed to process spatial relationships are therefore the more reliable choice. (DOI: 10.1038/s43588-026-01045-2)