Spintronics Breakthrough: Unlocking the Power of Radial Vortices
A team at HZB has investigated a new, simple method at BESSY II that can be used to create stable radial magnetic vortices in magnetic…
Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin News
The Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB) is a renowned research center in Germany, dedicated to the study of materials and energy. Located in Berlin, HZB is part of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, which is the largest scientific organization in Germany. HZB focuses on the development and utilization of advanced materials and technologies to address pressing energy challenges, particularly in the context of renewable energy and energy efficiency. One of its flagship facilities is the BESSY II synchrotron, a powerful light source that provides scientists with unique capabilities to analyze the structure and properties of materials at the atomic and molecular levels. Research at HZB spans various fields, including photovoltaics, battery technology, and hydrogen storage, aiming to contribute to sustainable energy solutions and the transition to a low-carbon economy. The center collaborates extensively with both national and international academic institutions, industry partners, and other research organizations to advance scientific knowledge and technological innovation.
Quantum Leap: Redefining Complex Problem-Solving
The traveling salesman problem is considered a prime example of a combinatorial optimization problem. Now a Berlin team led by theoretical physicist Prof. Dr. Jens…
Unlocking the Secrets of Semiconductors With a Single CLIMAT Measurement
An HZB physicist has developed a new method for the comprehensive characterization of semiconductors in a single measurement. The “Constant Light-Induced Magneto-Transport (CLIMAT)” is based…
Unlocking the Secrets of Dynamic Piezoelectricity in Ferroelectric Hafnia
Hafnium oxide thin films are a fascinating class of materials with robust ferroelectric properties in the nanometer range. While the ferroelectric behavior is extensively studied,…
Breakthrough Method Opens New Window to the Quantum World
Researchers at HZB have created an innovative technique to precisely measure minuscule temperature variations as small as 100 microkelvin in the thermal Hall effect, overcoming…
Bridging the Chasm Between Quantum Physics and the Theory of Gravity – “We Have Found a Surprisingly Simple Solution”
Quantum information theory: Quantum complexity grows linearly for an exponentially long time. Physicists know about the huge chasm between quantum physics and the theory of…
Predicting Semiconductor Solar Cell Performance From Terahertz and Microwave Spectroscopy
Many semiconducting materials are possible candidates for solar cells. In recent years, perovskite semiconductors in particular have attracted attention, as they are both inexpensive and…
Creating Metallic Water – While Avoiding an Explosion From Violent Chemistry
Every child knows that water conducts electricity — but this refers to “normal” everyday water that contains salts. Pure, distilled water, on the other hand,…
Particle Accelerator Physics: Experiment Reveals New Options for Synchrotron Light Sources
An international team has shown through a sensational experiment how diverse the possibilities for employing synchrotron light sources are. The most modern light sources for…
Physicists’ Clever Experiment Shows How Complex Oscillations in a Quantum System Simplify With Time
With a clever experiment, physicists have shown that in a one-dimensional quantum system, the initially complex distribution of vibrations or phonons can change over time…
World Record: Perovskite/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells on the Magic Threshold of 30% Efficiency
The current world record tandem solar cell provided stable performance for 300 hours – even without encapsulation. An HZB team has published a report in…
Revealed: 3D Quantum Spin Liquid That Could Power Future Information Technologies
Quantum Spin Liquids are candidates for potential use in future information technologies. So far, Quantum Spin Liquids have usually only been found in one or…
Long-Standing Quantum Physics Prediction Proven: Bethe Strings Experimentally Observed
90 years ago, the physicist Hans Bethe postulated that unusual patterns, so-called Bethe strings, appear in certain magnetic solids. Now an international team has succeeded…
Coronavirus SARS-CoV2 Architecture Decoded in 3D – Accelerates COVID-19 Drug Development
At the Berlin X-ray source BESSY II, researchers have decoded the protein responsible for the replication of the coronavirus. Analyzing the 3D architecture allows the…
Aspects of High Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cells Uncovered With Light 10 Billion Times Brighter Than the Sun
Using crystallographic analyses at the Diamond Light Source (DLS) synchrotron in the United Kingdom, an HZB team has demonstrated that hybrid halide perovskites crystallize without…
Nanostructure Increases Solar-to-Hydrogen Conversion Efficiency by a Factor of Eleven
Polymeric carbon nitrides exhibit a catalytic effect in sunlight that can be used for the production of hydrogen from solar energy. However, the efficiency of…
New Possibilities for Graphene in Thin-Film Photovoltaics
In a newly published study, researchers from the HZB Institute for Silicon Photovoltaics have shown that graphene retains its properties when coated with a thin…
Scientists Achieve Solar Hydrogen Production Breakthrough
A newly published study reveals how HZB and TU Delft scientists used a solar cell and a photo anode made of a metal oxide to…