All BESSY II instruments reconnected to the network
© HZB / D. Laubner
Thirteen months ago, HZB fell victim to a criminal cyberattack that also took BESSY II light source and the instruments in the experimental hall out of operation. BESSY II was up and running again after just three weeks and the instruments were gradually put back into operation. Now HZB can report some good news: All experimental stations are again integrated into the new IT networks and can record data.
In a task force led by Andreas Jankowiak and Jens Viefhaus, a team led by Ruslan Ovsyannikov succeeded in implementing a new IT infrastructure and a resilient network architecture. This project is now to be firmly established and perpetuated at HZB. The aim is to achieve the full functionality of the BESSY-II user service, to establish new possibilities for remote experiments and better data management.
The project also benefits from the successes of an international cooperation that is developing a new basis for experimental data management at light sources and small labs called Bluesky. With Bluesky, a new type of experimental data acquisition system is being introduced throughout BESSY II (under the leadership of HZB employees William Smith and Simone Vadilonga). It is already in operation at several BESSY beamlines. The introduction of Bluesky at BESSY II is a milestone and has attracted much attention in the scientific community. Several European accelerators are interested in the novel data control system.
HZB is also participating in the Helmholtz project ROCK-IT (Remote, Operando Controlled, Knowledge-driven, and IT-based) to meet the future challenges of data management and the IT structures of large-scale scientific research facilities. The aim is to develop all necessary tools for the automation and remote access of in-situ and operando experiments at synchrotrons. Simplified access to the experiments is a central concern of the user community.
- 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. - Detailed insights at BESSY II into the oxidation processes of copperBefore pure copper oxide builds up, complex superstructures such as ‘29’CuxO, are formed. The new results on the '29' CuxO superstructure have relevance for catalyst research and corrosion protection in the development of safe copper containers for nuclear waste repositories.