European XFEL, one of the world’s most powerful X-ray sources, is celebrating the 15th anniversary of the international treaty that laid the foundation for its creation this year. On 30 November 2009, ten European countries jointly decided to implement the ambitious research project and create an internationally accessible research facility that would offer new, unparalleled research opportunities to scientists from all over the world.
“European XFEL has become a symbol of successful scientific collaboration across national borders,” says Thomas Feurer, Managing Director and Chairman of the Management Board of European XFEL.
The X-ray laser, whose first light beam was generated in 2017, has since enabled ground-breaking research worldwide. Researchers from disciplines like physics, chemistry, biology, medicine and materials science benefit now from the facility at seven instruments, whose intense X-ray light beam offers unique insights into the molecular structure of matter and dynamic electronic or chemical processes in real time. Thanks to its high beam power, molecular structures and chemical reactions can be observed with unrivalled precision and speed, far exceeding conventional technologies. Most recently, researchers were able to show that the European XFEL can generate record-breaking X-ray pulses in the attosecond range with terawatt power.
The construction of the facility was supported by strong partnerships right from the start: the close collaboration with the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) in Hamburg played a decisive role in the realisation and operation of the European XFEL.
Read more on European XFEL website
Image: Ministers, state secretaries and other government representatives from ten partner countries met in November 2009 in the Hamburg City Hall to sign the international European XFEL agreement.
Credit: European XFEL