Newsletter III/2024

As already done at the User Meeting, we would like to keep you up to date in this way.

© Bernhard Ludewig, FRM II / TUM

© Bernhard Ludewig, FRM II / TUM

Significant progress has recently been achieved in the fabrication of the components of the central channel of FRM II: following a suitable heat treatment of the compensator, the required strength values were reached. As a result, it is currently expected that user operation with thermal, hot and fast neutrons and positrons may resume by the end of 2025. In addition, preparations for the production of the cold source are progressing well, with the manufacturing expected to start in early 2025, which will take two years.

Another high priority is the transport of spent fuel elements. This was a key issue during the visit of Christian Kühn, the new President of BASE, the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management.

© Andreas Heddergott, FRM II / TUM

© Andreas Heddergott, FRM II / TUM

This year, the MLZ Review for the funding period from 2018 to 2023 and the MORIS upgrade program was a major undertaking for all staff. It took place between Nov 19^th and 21^st. A comprehensive report detailing the scientific and technical achievements of MLZ was presented to an international review panel. This panel acknowledged the very high motivation and competence of MLZ staff despite the extended reactor outage. First results of the review will be presented to the MLZ Steering Committee on Dec 16^th by the panel’s chairpersons.

We would like to wish you and your families a happy holiday season and a great start to the New Year!

Prof. Dr. Christian Pfleiderer (FRM II, TU München, MLZ Director/ Spokesperson)
Prof. Dr. Martin Müller (GEMS, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, MLZ Director)

Last time, you could follow the SR-4b shielding build-up for that neutron guide that will serve PERC@MEPHISTO. But there are more instruments in the Neutron Guide Hall East! POWTEX, TOPAS, SAPHIR, and TRISP will get neutrons from beam tube 5, and the first steps are also taken to make this possible. Parts had been delivered and assembled in the Experimental Hall.

Aureliano Tartaglione (MLZ)

And, as always, Pictures tell more than words. Just click a picture in the gallery – with the arrows in the upper right, you can navigate!

It's a wrap: Logo, agreement and signatures. © MLZ

It's a wrap: Logo, agreement and signatures. © MLZ

The Neutron Quality Label (NQL) trademark agreement between ILL and FRM II is signed and will promote neutrons for industry. The NQL trademark assures the quality process of measurements for strain and stress determination by neutron diffraction.

To start with, four strain scanners, STRESS-SPEC at MLZ, SALSA at ILL, ENGIN-X at ISIS and MPISI at NECSA contributed to the NQL trademark by publishing a common research article that presented a common calibration protocol and reporting template and summarised the achieved results. Recently, the NQL was signed by two further large-scale research infrastructures and ILL, namely ISIS and NECSA. It is with satisfaction that other institutions joined in as a positive result of this endeavour.

The MLZ-DEVA Group was also involved in these efforts and will play an important role in supporting non-experienced industry users with data analysis.

Joana Rebelo Kornmeier (MLZ)

Manuel at the MLZ User Meeting 2024. © MLZ

Manuel at the MLZ User Meeting 2024. © MLZ

Let’s meet Manuel Lebert, who is one of those doing his PhD at the MLZ, and gain some insights into his daily work!

Originally from the northern part of Bavaria, he studied Physics at the TUM and did his master’s thesis in the field of Astroparticle Physics on silicon drift detectors (TRISTAN detector) for the KATRIN experiment in Karlsruhe. Since 2020, he has been involved in the PERC project.

PERC before: one can clearly see the magnet system within the frame. © MLZ

PERC before: one can clearly see the magnet system within the frame. © MLZ

I work on the PERC facility, which is currently under construction at the MEPHISTO beam site in the Neutron Guide Hall East. It will serve as an intense and clean source of electrons and protons from neutron beta decay for precision studies. It aims to improve the measurements of the properties of weak interaction by one order of magnitude and to search for new physics via new effective couplings. PERC’s central component is a 12 m long superconducting magnet system that provides field strengths up to 6 T.

The upgraded detector and its set-up at the lab. © FRM II/ TUM

The upgraded detector and its set-up at the lab. © FRM II/ TUM

It will have two detector systems. The downstream detector is the main detector for measuring the decay products, and the upstream detectors are veto detectors for backscattered events. Both will initially be scintillation detectors.

I am working on an upgrade of the main detector. We will replace the scintillator with a pixelated silicon PIN-detector. This new detector is 2 mm thick, where silicon detectors are usually in the range of a few hundred µm. Currently, I am characterising this detector.

PERC now: Every side has three plates in a row. © MLZ

PERC now: Every side has three plates in a row. © MLZ

No, I have several further tasks and smaller projects in the scope of PERC. For example, I prepared and organised the delivery and installation (together with our engineer Kathrin Lehmann) of the magnetic return yoke, including its steel plates, which will shield PERC’s high magnetic field. Thus, the other instruments in the Neutron Guide Hall East will not be affected by it – an important part of the operational permit!

I ordered a total of six such plates, which were custom-made by a Bavarian company and each of them has a weight of up to 4.5 t. Thus, it was very tricky to get them from the lorry into the hall and to their final place. Furthermore, the door of the hall has a width of 5.10 m, but the biggest plates are 5.00. This required a great deal of skill from the delivery company. Fortunately, everything went very well, and we could install them on the instrument. During the preparation process, Kathrin and I had climbed all over PERC to find out where we would need to screw on the panels – the company needed to know where to drill the screw holes. In total, we tightened the plates with 60 screws. This was hard work because, in some places, there is only 10 cm of space between the magnet and a plate.

PERC_Plates_01

The first plates arrived. The crane attracted numerous spectators.

© MLZ

PERC_Plates_02

The first plate is being prepared for the transport into the Neutron Guide Hall East.

© MLZ

PERC_Plates_03

A plate of 5.00 m vs a door of 5.10 m = This is a challenge!

© MLZ

PERC_Plates_04

The prepared screw holes can be seen very clearly here. The special crane is needed because it has to get far into the hall to transfer its burden to the hall’s crane. Looks a little bit like an alien, doesn’t it?

© MLZ

PERC_Plates_05

The first plate is put in place. Many helping hands are needed!

© MLZ

PERC-Plates_06

The screw holes have to be in the right place. Manuel inspects this carefully.

© MLZ

PERC_Plates_08

You must be slim and fit to work here because there is little space between the magnet and the plate.

© MLZ

PERC_Plates_09

The second plate has to be lifted over PERC. And there are four more to come!

© MLZ

Absolutely! I have attended all MLZ User Meetings since 2020 for sure, and presenting my work there. But I also had posters at the Workshop on the Physics of fundamental Symmetries and Interactions at low energies and the precision frontier at the PSI (2022), at the ECNS 2023 in Garching and, only recently, at the DPG Spring Meeting at Gießen this year. I enjoy discussing my work with other scientists!

Questions by Ina Lommatzsch (JCNS@MLZ)

Diffraction data based on X-rays, neutrons, or electrons reveal detailed information about lattice metrics, symmetry and structural or magnetic properties. These data are analysed using full-profile Rietveld refinement, a well-established method for fitting calculated structural models to experimental diffraction patterns by multiparametric minimization. Among available software, the FullProf package stands out for its versatility, accuracy, simplicity, and advanced features, especially for evaluating neutron data and modelling magnetic structures using magnetic space group formalism.

Workshop participants in front of the venue. © TUM

Workshop participants in front of the venue. © TUM

The MLZ Science Group “Structure Research” organised a two-and-a-half-day workshop on the FullProf program suite that took place from September 30^th to October 2^nd, 2024, located at GATE (Garchinger Technologie- und Gründerzentrum GmbH). The FullProf authors and contributors J. Rodrigues-Carvajal and O. Fabelo Rosa (both ILL) introduced the participants to its extensive features and recent developments through an exciting mixture of scientific lectures and hands-on tutorials. The workshop was fully booked with more than 30 participants from MLZ (FRM II, Hereon and JCNS), as well as from TUM and LMU chemistry and LMU crystallography.

This and the lively discussions between the participants and the speakers underline the great interest of young scientists in this type of event.

Anatoliy Senyshyn (MLZ), Martin Meven (JCNS@MLZ)

The third edition of the Czech-Bavarian mini-school started in Prague at the Material Growth & Measurement Laboratory (MGML), where the students attended lectures on magneto-optics and sample growth, took a tour of the MGML labs, and visited the Prague Training Reactor VR-1. The practical sessions included crystal growth and low-temperature measurements. At ELI beamlines, the students learned all about lasers and caught a glimpse of the high-intensity laser laboratories. One highlight was that the students presented their projects in the flash talk competition. The programme in Prague ended with sessions on data treatment and FAIR principles.

The second part took place at the FRM II in Garching, featuring lectures on neutron scattering techniques and hands-on training with virtual instruments. A facility tour where the students could see the reactor pool and many different neutron scattering instruments formed another highlight.

Johanna K. Jochum (MLZ), Petr Čermák (MGML)

Join the participants in the gallery! (Click a picture – with the arrows in the upper right, you can navigate)

Our robotic participant also listened attentively to the tutor's presentation! © JCNS@MLZ

Our robotic participant also listened attentively to the tutor's presentation! © JCNS@MLZ

The 26^th LabCourse Neutron Scattering of the Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS) took place September 02^nd –13^th, 2024 at Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ) for the lecture part and at Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ) Garching for the experiments.

The course was financed by FZJ with support from the EU project SoftComp. 52 participants were selected from more than twice that many applications. About 40% of the students came from foreign institutions in 11 countries. The participation of female students was 44%.

Looking for axes at PANDA. © JCNS

Looking for axes at PANDA. © JCNS

The first week of the course was dedicated to lectures and exercises. In the second week, 15 world-class instruments were made available at MLZ. Due to the ongoing repairs at FRM II, experiments could only be performed as ‘dry runs’. Nevertheless, the students enjoyed the actual laboratory environment, which was often supported by ‘virtual experiments’.

The next JCNS Labcourse will be held from August 25^th to September 05^th, 2025 (application will be possible from January 2025 at www.neutronlab.de).

Reiner Zorn, Margarita Kruteva (Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH)

The MATRAC 2 School, titled “Application of Neutrons and Synchrotron Radiation in Materials Science with a Special Focus on Fundamental Aspects of Materials”, took place from Sept 1 to 6, 2024, at the Haus der Bayerischen Landwirtschaft in Herrsching and the MLZ in Garching.

Interested students. © Hereon

Interested students. © Hereon

The event brought together 44 students from across Europe and beyond for an intensive program blending theory and practice. During the first three days, participants engaged in theoretical presentations, setting a solid foundation in neutron and synchrotron techniques. The latter half of the programme took place at the MLZ, where students participated in hands-on experiments tailored to their individual research interests. They chose from nine different instruments representing a wide range of scattering and imaging techniques critical to materials science research.

Finally at the MLZ! © FRM II/ TUM

Finally at the MLZ! © FRM II/ TUM

Participants also had the opportunity to present their current work during a poster session and gain practical skills in a special workshop focused on writing successful beamtime proposals. A guided tour of the facility offered further insights into the advanced infrastructure supporting cutting-edge materials research.

The MATRAC 2 School proved to be a vibrant venue for scientific exchange, fostering discussions and collaborations while showcasing the immense potential of neutron and synchrotron scattering methods in materials science.

Klaus Pranzas (Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon)

The first assembly of the MLZ Young Researchers. © FRM II/ TUM

The first assembly of the MLZ Young Researchers. © FRM II/ TUM

To foster collaboration among all young scientists onsite, the MLZ Young Researchers Group was established, which consists of PhD students, Masters students, and postdoctoral researchers. The group is cross-institutional and self-organising. The MLZ partners provide a financial budget.

Up to now, the group has organised regular meetings and specialised trainings, such as workshops on AI and unconscious bias. The Young Researchers also presented 21 posters showcasing their work at the MLZ Review, which were very well received.

Michael Schulz (MLZ)

Participants enjoyed the sunny weather at Tutzing. © JCNS@MLZ

Participants enjoyed the sunny weather at Tutzing. © JCNS@MLZ

The yearly JCNS Workshop took place at the Evangelische Akademie in Tutzing from October 8^th to 11^th, and it was dedicated to the interdisciplinary topic of functional interfaces.

Being an important cross-cutting area of research, interfaces offered the perfect platform for the scientific exchange among scatterers – neutron as well as x-ray – from different disciplines and industries. In the session dedicated to industrial applications, automotive coatings and latest developments in the field of neutron supermirrors were presented by Claas Hövelmann (BASF Coatings) and Michael Schneider (SwissNeutronics), respectively.

Daniel Söderberg (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) explained how invaluable neutrons are for the development of cellulose-based sustainable materials while of particular interest was the presentation of Marite Cardena (Fundación Biofísica Bizkaia), who elucidated how neutrons reveal the correlation between phase separation and membrane curvature, for a better understanding of its functionality.

Stefano Pasini (JCNS@MLZ)

Only a pano shot could capture all the participants. © MLZ

Only a pano shot could capture all the participants. © MLZ

For the 6^thtime, the MLZ User Meeting provided a platform for neutron scatterers. The format has remained unchanged since 2019 (with two online events due to the COVID-19 pandemic): On the first day, the seven parallel workshops organised by the MLZ Science Groups offered an overview of the various fields of neutron research. But other topics are also currently in the fork: What is the status of the planned electronic logbooks or the open data catalogue at MLZ?

© MLZ

© MLZ

The lively discussions that started during the coffee breaks continued over dinner in a typical Bavarian restaurant. And unlike last year, when everyone was in a hurry because of the freezing rain that stopped public transport, this time everything went smoothly.

Günter Dollinger (centre) accompagnied by the MLZ Directors Christian Pfleiderer (left) and Martin Müller (right). © MLZ

Günter Dollinger (centre) accompagnied by the MLZ Directors Christian Pfleiderer (left) and Martin Müller (right). © MLZ

Judith Houston (ESS, and former JCNS@MLZ colleague!) opened the second day with her plenary talk on „Squishy stuff probed by small-angle scattering and rheology“. Afterwards, the „MLZ Prize for Instrumentation and Scientific Use 2024“ was presented for the first time at a User Meeting. The prizewinner Günther Dollinger (Universität der Bundeswehr München) received the award for his services to positron instrumentation at the MLZ. His presentation then showed various ways in which pulsed positrons can help in materials science.

An intense discussion during the poster session. © MLZ

An intense discussion during the poster session. © MLZ

As always, the annual review and updates from the MLZ directors were eagerly awaited (see also above!). Tommy Nylander, Chair of the MLZ User Committee, emphasised in his contribution that it will be essential to return new and old users to the MLZ as part of the restart besides all upgrades at the instruments and additional labs.

This part was rounded off with short presentations from KFN, ENSA, and LENS before the poster session began, providing plenty of material for discussion.

Ina Lommatzsch (JCNS@MLZ)

© private

© private

In August 2024, I joined JCNS@MLZ as an instrument scientist at PANDA. My job is to put all the upgraded components together for the restart of the FRM II and to support the users with their exciting experiments.

Neutron spectroscopy has been the main method of my academic career starting with my Master’s project at Technical University of Munich (TUM) on the magnetic dynamics of skyrmions in MnSi.

Magnetism is the overarching theme of my research, and neutrons are my go-to tool for answering any question on metallic ferromagnets, canted antiferromagnetism in organic-inorganic perovskites, and more.

© private

© private

I’m excited to join as the new second instrument scientist at the KWS-2 instrument. I’ll support the size-exclusion chromatography (SEC-SANS) setup, a valuable tool for investigating biological samples.

I joined MLZ as a GNeuS PostDoc in December 2022, working on preparing and characterising polysaccharide-protein nano/microgels for encapsulating nutrients in the food sector. Before that, I completed my PhD in physical chemistry at Charles University in Prague, where I had been focussed on self-assemblies based on hydrophilic polymers. Find my publications listed on Google Scholar .

I look forward to contributing to our research and collaborating with each of you!

© private

© private

I am Joanna, and I joined JCNS@MLZ in July 2024 as a Postdoc and instrument supervisor at the Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) laboratory.

My background is in organic and polymer chemistry. I completed my Ph.D. in 2022 (Germany), and worked on stimuli-responsive polymers. My thesis focussed on understanding the kinetics and structural changes across the transition point of these polymers. In the next project in France, I synthesised bio-based monomers and polymers from lignin to obtain eco-friendly polystyrene derivatives.

Now, I am excited to concentrate on electron microscopy (cryo-TEM/ESEM) and gain more experience with various techniques for sample preparation.