Review: X-ray scattering methods with synchrotron radiation
Resonant X-ray excitation (purple) core excites the oxygen atom within a H2O molecule. This causes ultrafast proton dynamics. The electronic ground state potential surface (bottom) and the bond dynamics is captured by distinct spectral features in resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (right).
© Martin Künsting /HZB
Synchrotron light sources provide brilliant light with a focus on the X-ray region and have enormously expanded the possibilities for characterising materials. In the Reviews of Modern Physics, an international team now gives an overview of elastic and inelastic X-ray scattering processes, explains the theoretical background and sheds light on what insights these methods provide in physics, chemistry as well as bio- and energy related themes.
"X-ray scattering can be used to investigate and resolve a wide variety of issues from the properties and excitations of fuctional solids, to homogeneous and heterogeneous chemical processes and reactions or even the proton pathway during the splitting of water," explains Prof. Dr. Alexander Föhlisch, who heads the Institute Methods and Instrumentation for Research with Synchrotron Radiation at HZB.
The article gives an overview of experimental and theoretical results in the field of resonant scattering of tunable soft and hard X-rays. The focus is on resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) and resonant Auger scattering (RAS). In the review, the authors outline the most important achievements from the last two decades at Synchrotrons up to the latest advances in time-resolved studies with X-ray free-electron lasers.
- An important step towards detecting fractons in quantum spin liquidsFollowing predictions of the existence of fractons in quantum spin liquids by more general gauge field theories, researchers at HZB succeeded in detecting these quasi-particles also in a quantum solid-state model.
- Hatice Mutlu appointed to the Helmholtz Institute HIPOLE in JenaProf. Dr Hatice Mutlu is the new professor of sustainable polymer chemistry at HIPOLE Jena, the Helmholtz Institute for Polymers in Energy Applications. On 17 August 2026, she visited the HZB campus in Berlin-Adlershof including the BESSY II lightsource and discussed future collaboration with researchers and the board of directors.
- Special prize by Jugend Forscht awarded to former school internShaoxuan Wang has won a special prize in the Jugend Forscht competition for her project ‘Smart Capsules – intelligent microcapsules for glucose-dependent insulin release’. She designed the project as a “special achievement” for her A-levels. To carry out the experimental work, Shaoxuan was able to spend a further two weeks in the laboratory at the HZB Institute for Electrochemical Energy Storage, where she had completed a school internship two years earlier.