Accelerators

Internationally leading electron storage ring based photon source for materials research, with its main strengths in the soft X-ray regime. It is a key enabler for developing solutions to societies’ grand challenges.

BESSY II is in its 25th year of operation. In the BESSYII+ upgrade, we apply modernisation measures to guarantee the reliable user operation at highest availability, stability and quality, to bridge to the next generation user facility.

To stay at the forefront of storage ring-based synchrotron radiation light sources and further push boundaries, HZB is working on a concept for a BESSY II successor. First light from BESSY III is expected in 2035, which gives us time to rediscover and rework storage ring physics for synchrotron radiation generation.

HZB and the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin have been jointly carrying out a unique proton therapy of eye tumours since June 1998. Almost 5,000 patients from Germany and neighbouring countries have been successfully treated so far: in more than 97% of cases, the tumour can be completely destroyed.

Sustainable Electron Accelerator Laboratory (SEALab) is a large-scale research facility focusing on a high-energy, high-brightness, high-average-current electron accelerator that utilizes superconducting radio-frequency acceleration structures.

HZB collaborates closely with five other Helmholtz-Centers and two Helmholtz-Institutes to advance the state-of-the-art in the topic of Accelerator Research and Development, pioneering new ideas and developing thriving new technologies. The ARD research community addresses the great challenge of developing efficient systems and concepts to guarantee highest performance, stability and reliability of the facilities at minimum resource footprint.

The different experts and working groups within the HZB Accelerator engage in a lot of research projects, both with external partners and internally. You can find short summaries and follow-on information here.

HZBs Accelerator Research and Development values its role in knowledge transfer. Several of our researchers teach at universities. We offer bachelor, master and doctoral theses in the working groups and hold seminars with speakers from all over the world.