The future of European neutron research

At the Spring Meeting of the German Physical Society (DPG) in Dresden, directors of German and French neutron facilities, including Christian Pfleiderer and Stephan Förster from the MLZ, made it clear that there is a wealth of opportunities in neutron science for young researchers.

DPG Round 2026 The participants and chairs of the roundtable, from left to right: Julian Oberdisse (chair, U. Montpellier/FR), Stephan Förster (director of JCNS-1/GER), Christian Pfleiderer (director of FRMII and MLZ/GER), Pascale Launois (president of SFN/FRA), Sabrina Disch (representing KFN/GER), Frank Schreiber (standing up, chair, U. Tübingen), Arnaud Desmedt (director of LLB/FRA) and Jacques Jestin (scientific director of ILL, FRA/GER/UK). © Christine Papadakis / TUM

The participants and chairs of the roundtable, from left to right: Julian Oberdisse (chair, U. Montpellier/FR), Stephan Förster (director of JCNS-1/GER), Christian Pfleiderer (director of FRMII and MLZ/GER), Pascale Launois (president of SFN/FRA), Sabrina Disch (representing KFN/GER), Frank Schreiber (standing up, chair, U. Tübingen), Arnaud Desmedt (director of LLB/FRA) and Jacques Jestin (scientific director of ILL, FRA/GER/UK). © Christine Papadakis / TUM

Open to new talent

A roundtable brought together the heads of major German and French neutron research facilities (Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ), Jülich Center for Neutron Science (JCNS), Léon Brillouin Laboratory (LLB), Institut Laue Langevin (ILL)) and user committees (Komitee Forschung mit Neutronen (KFN), Société Française de la Neutronique (SFN)) at the DPG Spring Meeting in Dresden. The central message to the approximately 65 attendees was that newcomers are warmly welcome, as fresh ideas and new users are essential for the steady growth of the European neutron community. The crucial role of neutrons in tackling major societal challenges was emphasised: from energy, climate, and environment to health and cultural heritage – with concrete applications in battery research, quantum technology, and the study of magnetism, including skyrmions.

Rapid access

To lower the barriers when applying for beamtime, the panelists pointed to a broad spectrum of practical training schools and fast access routes. They stated that this makes a timeframe of only two to three months from proposal to experiment feasible. To ensure the success of projects, the panel recommended that newcomers either partner with experienced colleagues or contact the relevant instrument scientists directly.

Furthermore, all facilities now offer rapid-access routes for particularly urgent projects, test measurements within the scope of internal beamtime, or time quotas at the directors’ discretion to test hypotheses early on. In addition, the institutions are investing in virtual “digital twins”, artificial intelligence, and efficient data reduction. The panel summarised that users should be able to leave the facilities with pre-processed data, allowing them to focus on their scientific results rather than getting bogged down by technical issues.

Bright perspectives in Europe

Does neutron scattering offer a secure future? The directors’ verdict was: “Definitely.” The German-French cooperation creates a vibrant job market for science, engineering, and technology. Career paths range from working at established sources such as the FRM II/MLZ and the ILL to helping shape the European Spallation Source (ESS) or developing new facilities like ICONE in France.