News Gallery

Beamtime @ SOLEIL / Pléiades (Paris) - April 2023

Michele's beamtime on sugars proved very challenging, yet very rewarding and left us with many lessons learned! We specially thank Christophe (beamline scientist) and Rémi (collaborator) for their invaluable help.

The weather was mostly very nice. Here you can see part of the team walking towards the canteen for dinner (left) and the synchrotron laboratory building (right).

The weather was mostly very nice. Here you can see part of the team walking towards the canteen for dinner (left) and the synchrotron laboratory building (right).

The ultra high resolution soft X-ray beamline Pléiades. We have used their hemispherical electron analyzer coupled to a recylcing microjet setup.

The ultra high resolution soft X-ray beamline Pléiades. We have used their hemispherical electron analyzer coupled to a recylcing microjet setup.

Here you can see a macro photograph of the microjet capillary (bottom), the recylcling catcher (top) and the electron analyzer skimmer (facing the camera). The picture on the left was taken when the jet assembly was clean, while the picture on the right was taken after venting the chamber due to freezing of the jet while running a 2 molar sodium iodide solution. The white deposits are the the salt left behind after water evaporated and the electron skimmer was blocked by it, preventing us from collecting electrons. A quick cleaning returned the setup to the state seen on the picture on the left and we were good to go again.

Here you can see a macro photograph of the microjet capillary (bottom), the recylcling catcher (top) and the electron analyzer skimmer (facing the camera). The picture on the left was taken when the jet assembly was clean, while the picture on the right was taken after venting the chamber due to freezing of the jet while running a 2 molar sodium iodide solution. The white deposits are the the salt left behind after water evaporated and the electron skimmer was blocked by it, preventing us from collecting electrons. A quick cleaning returned the setup to the state seen on the picture on the left and we were good to go again.

When things finally were running smoothly and we could take a breath...

When things finally were running smoothly and we could take a breath...

Beamtime @ DESY / Petra III - March 2023

The planets align and Stephan was finally able to join us at the P04 beamline. And Sebastian prepares the new evaporator for not-so-volatile samples (no alanine this time...). Works great!

Karen’s good-bye dinner - March 2023

Good luck Karen. Thank you for the nice and successful two years.

Molecular Physics Department Meeting @ Schloss Ringberg - February 2023

A highlight in the life of the whole department was the three-day outing to Ringberg castle, the conference site of the Max-Planck-Society in the Bavarian Alps. This was the first such meeting after two cancellations during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Henrik Haak updates on flat jet assemblies and the LJ-VMI progress.

News from the FHI Laboratory - February 2023

Moving on with the development of Liquid-Jet Velocity-Map-Imaging (VMI). Still, many technical challanges to be solved, but the main chamber is prepared for the first tests.

Henrik hard at work connecting the cold trap around the VMI assembly, while Bruno watches another of his ingenious designs coming to life.

Henrik hard at work connecting the cold trap around the VMI assembly, while Bruno watches another of his ingenious designs coming to life.

Beamtime @ DESY / Petra III - November 2022

Florian explaining the wonders of the P04 soft X-ray beamline to the group (top left). Michele and Dominik taking a photo while still distracted by measurements (top right). Sebastian and Harman cleaning EASI (bottom left). Sebastian in a tight space adjusting the mu-metal shielding as Michele and Harman look on (bottom right).

Florian explaining the wonders of the P04 soft X-ray beamline to the group (top left). Michele and Dominik taking a photo while still distracted by measurements (top right). Sebastian and Harman cleaning EASI (bottom left). Sebastian in a tight space adjusting the mu-metal shielding as Michele and Harman look on (bottom right).

Characterizing our MCP (left) and testing a new gas cell (right). The dark stripe in the middle of the image is the result of many measurements and tells us that it may be time to order a replacement. We used the gas cell to prepare gas-phase alanine. These first measurements cost us a coating of alanine all over the inside of the machine, and we have since revised our design.

Characterizing our MCP (left) and testing a new gas cell (right). The dark stripe in the middle of the image is the result of many measurements and tells us that it may be time to order a replacement. We used the gas cell to prepare gas-phase alanine. These first measurements cost us a coating of alanine all over the inside of the machine, and we have since revised our design.

Celebrating the end of another successful beamtime with Glühwein before returning to Berlin.

Celebrating the end of another successful beamtime with Glühwein before returning to Berlin.

Bernd and Florian visit IWP-RIXS 2022 in Japan

Bernd and Florian visited the International Workshop on Photoionization – Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering (IWP-RIXS) 2022 in Zao (Miyagi Prefecture near Sendai) followed by a visit to Kyoto University. In Sendai, we saw the new NanoTerasu Synchrotron-Radiation Facility which is still under construction. Thanks, Stephan, for your warm hospitality!

PhD Defense Sebastian Malerz - Sep '22

On 28th of September, Sebastian succesfully defended his PhD thesis on advances in LJ photoelectron spectroscopy for the determination of absolute energetics and probing chirality in solution - Congratulations!

New Group Photos - Apr '22

Beamtime @ DESY - Nov/Dec '21

Once again our EASI apparatus was shipped to Hamburg for more measurements in two blocks from Nov 3rd-11th and Nov 19th-Dec 1st. We focused on the chemistry of glucose modifications and PECD (photoelectron circular dichroism) in aqueous solution.

EASI setup ready for experiments

New Group Members - Feb '21

New members have arrived in the Winter group, to enravel the mysteries of the liquid state with joint forces.

Screenshot of the first AG Winter group meeting including all our new members and guest Jenny Triptow from the research group of André Fielicke. Brief portraits: Tillmann has formerly done research on liquid ammonia and liquid metals at UC Southern California, and will focus on reactions at the liquid-vapour interface. Karen will soon defend a PhD thesis on redox chemistry in liquids explored by photoelectron spectroscopy at HZB, and Dominik has previously worked on self-assembled films of chiral molecules at UCLA. Jointly they will put EASI and novel, HHG-based experiments to work to investigate the signatures of chiral solutes in photoemission. Karin will organize all of us :-)

PhD Defense Clemens Richter - Oct '20

On 7th of october, Clemens Richter (supervised by Uwe Hergenhahn) defended his PhD-thesis on ICD and ETMD in water clusters and liquids.


Due to Corona-related contact restrictions, the defense took place virtual	... nevertheless, success was real! Congratulations, Clemens; and all the best for your new position at FHI Dept. Inorganic Chemistry.

Visit to the LIDUX Laboratory @ Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin - Sep '20

Three researchers of the Winter group visit the Liquid & Interfacial Dynamics with Ultrafast X-rays (LIDUX) Facility at Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin, see here. Here, one of the most powerful sources for ultrashort X-ray pulses is under construction. We are looking forward to a great cooperation!


LIDUX PI Iain Wilkinson in the front,	can you guess who was visiting?

First paper done with the EASI-setup accepted - Aug '20

The first paper including work done with our EASI-setup has been accepted. Using the high flux at high photon energies available at the Hasylab P04 beamline, Karen Mudryk was able to record bulk-sensitive photoelectron spectra of the permanganate anion (MnO₄^-). Congratulations to these important results, Karen! See here for the publication.


This is the publication	and that is how our chamber looked after the measurements...

ERC grant AQUACHIRAL awarded - Apr '20

The European Research Council awards a grant for a project AQUACHIRAL to us, see here.

Great perspectives for our research on chiral molecules.

Beamtime @ Soleil - Jan-Feb '20

Our first beamtime using soft VUV radiation took place at Desirs, Synchrotrone Soleil (France).


Craning the chamber to the experimental floor	all are closely watching the maneuver

Finally attached to the beamline	Data are coming in

Going home, see you next time, Paris

PhD Defense Hebatallah Ali - Jan '20

On 23rd of january, Hebatallah Ali defended her PhD Thesis on transition metal nanoparticles investigated in a liquid jet. The Thesis was submitted to the Physics Department of the Freie Universität Berlin.


Before ...	... during ...
	... and after the event. Congratulations, Heba!

Beamtime @ DESY - Sep '19

We have beamtime at DESY (Hamburg, Germany) from 5^th to 18^th September with our improved EASI-setup. Finally our new, very precise manipulator arrived 4 days before. With this new, very stable one it should be possible to record impressive spectra from the PECD effect of aqueous and liquid compounds.

Visitors are warmly welcome!


Everything is packed	and ready for the move to DESY


EASI is built up	and we have photons on our YAG-screen

and we are doing science

Now we have a PhotonFlux-Monitor (GoldMesh) in our EASI machine - Jul '19

To adjust our jet and to be sure we are hitting only the liquid phase, we installed a easily removable gold mesh. The obtained value (read out with an Keithley) help us to find the best position for our jet especially for the PECD project.


Without the gold mesh	With the gold mesh

Science City Bahrenfeld - Jan '19

The new image movie from DESY shows our instrument at 1:32 for a short moment at the P04 bealime. Sebastian and Claudia had no idea that a film team was making a movie. Beside this FunFact, our new EASI instrument was mentioned in a DESY newsletter which announced the possibility to measure the PECD-effect in liquids.


click for the video	click for PDF

Marvin is Now a Doctor! - Nov '18

Braces Yourselves - Nov '18

Our group-leader gave a talk in the group of Pavel Jungwirth about "Photoelectron spectroscopy from aqueous solution". The announcement was really nice...

Setup Move to DESY (Hamburg) - Nov '18

Finally, our machine is assembled and we start our very first move to DESY (Hamburg). The shipping went well and we were very excited how it will perform at the synchrotron.

Japan (SPring-8) - Jun '18

Our second trip to Japan to repeat and to measure new salt-samples at the high-resolution RIXS (Resonant Inelastic X-ray emission Spectroscopy) setup from the Harada group at SPring-8. Also our friends from Uppsala and Zhong Yin from ETH Zürich where with us to join the 24/7 beamtime and we recorded exciting data. Compared to our last trip in January 2018, it was very warm but also rainy. Again, Stephan Thürmer from the Kyoto University showed us exciting places and the beautiful country-site of Japan around Kyoto and Osaka.

We finally made it!! Our first FlatJet-Prototype is done!! - Apr. '18

For the very first time, we built up our new FlatJet-Prototype and we made this really nice video (YES!!, it's a video what you see). Due to the construction, the FlatJet will not be applicable in our planned chamber, but we can collect experiences with this new type of Jet :)

click on the photo to download the movie

Japan (SPring-8) - Jan '18

Together with Zhong Yin from ETH Zürich we performed the first liquid-jet experiments from aqueous salt solutions at the SPring-8 synchrotron facility near Osaka (Japan) at the high-resolution RIXS (Resonant Inelastic X-ray emission Spectroscopy) setup operated by the Yoshi Harada group. Also, Jan-Erik Rubensson from Uppsala, and colleagues from MAX IV joined in this enterprise. The three-day/24 hours beamtime ran smoothly and we obtained exciting results. But before the duty we met Stephan Thürmer in Kyoto who was a great companion and guided us through the city. We also visited Toshi Suzuki at Kyoto University to hear about the liquid-jet laser experiments, and to report on our work at FHI in a seminar.

A New Analyzer - Dec '17

Today we got an early Christmas present. Vincent from Scienta Omicron visited us to help us install our freshly arrived electron analyzer. The new analyzer will be the heart of our new setup at FHI. Its ability to detect electrons at high pressures up to 20 mbar (for water) will enable new possibilities for experiments at the liquid–gas interface. 500 kg stainless steel can be tricky to handle, but we all gave our best to put the analyzer at the right spot.

Beamtime at DESY - Nov '17

Measuring at DESY P64 beamline was our first experience with the liquid jet using hard X-rays. Together with Zhong and Thomas from ETH Zürich we were looking at RIXS from iron 1s excitation. We hope to learn something about iron complexation in aqueous solution with this technique. At the last day Zhong took us to Hamburg where we were visiting the Elbphilharmonie and (after a short Fischbrötchen break) the Harbor.

Visiting Prague - Oct '17

Pavel invited us to Prague to proudly present his advances in liquefying ammonia. Tillmann and Phil succeeded to stabilize the condensed NH₃ in a vessel. As a next step they plan to run the volatile ammonia through a capillary to create a liquid jet. The basic idea is to create large amounts of solvated electrons by dissolving sodium in the liquid ammonia. Their work is already a great achievement on the way to measure photoelectron spectra of solvated electrons.