In this short contribution, we will briefly describe the general characteristics of our free-electron lasers and magnet installations. We will also address recent upgrades of the infrastructure, such as the replacement of the FEL modulator in January 2025 or the start of cooldown of the hybrid magnet aimed to operate at 45 T.
Fullerenes, in both neutral and ionized forms, are the largest molecular species identified in the interstellar medium. Among their many derivatives, ionized species—including protonated, oxidized, and other exohedral variants— have attracted considerable astrophysical interest. Recent advances in synthesis methods have enabled the encapsulation of small molecules within fullerene cages,...
Ice-covered dust grains are found in many astrophysically relevant environments, including comets, proto-planetary disks and the interstellar medium, and provide surfaces upon which many of the molecules found in space can be made. These ice-covered dust grains undergo so called processing by bombardment with particles such as atoms and ions, by irradiation with light and by heating (thermal...
The abstract for my talk can be found in the attachment.
The study of gas-phase ion-neutral reactions is a subject of significant research interest for astrochemistry, due to their higher reaction rates at low temperatures and pressures than the equivalent neutral-neutral processes [1]. Furthermore, following recent increases in observational capabilities, a growing appreciation has developed regarding the importance of isomers in astrochemistry...
Magnesium-silicates are ubiquitously found as small dust grains throughout the interstellar medium (ISM). Formed in the dense and warm environments of dying (evolved) oxygen-rich stars, they are subject to sporadic energetic processing in the diffuse ISM, where they are broken up into ultra-small silicate fragments. Such fragments likely serve as seeds for subsequent re-condensation in dense...
Please find attached my abstract for an oral presentation
Recent advances in two-dimensional materials have opened new avenues for exploring unconventional superconductivity in engineered multilayers. Among them, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), such as NbSe2, offer a unique platform to investigate Ising superconductivity and quantum phase transitions under strong spin-orbit coupling. In this talk, I will show Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov...
The interaction of light with metasurfaces, two-dimensional arrays of subwavelength-spaced nanostructures, or "meta-atoms", paves the way for the advanced study of their optical properties. Metasurfaces can be meticulously designed to introduce desired localized and spatially varying electromagnetic responses, thereby collectively imparting arbitrary phase, amplitude, and polarization...
We report experimental measurements of the fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE) in twisted graphene aligned with hexagonal boron nitride, where the formation of a moiré superlattice and sublattice symmetry breaking gives rise to a rich landscape of correlated electronic phases We report on the FQHE at filling factors ν = k/2 and ν = k/3 with ν > 1, and on the composite fermions at in the ν <...
The rapid evolution of photonics has enabled unprecedented control over light-matter interactions on the picosecond time scale and even faster, with plasmonic metasurfaces (MSs) emerging as key components in next-generation optoelectronic devices. MSs composed of periodic gold nanostructures patterned on silicon substrates can offer both localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and...
Transition metals play a role in astrochemistry, in particular, transition metal complexes are proposed to be astrochemically relevant. Iron is the most abundant transition metal in the interstellar medium (ISM), but only little amounts of pure atomic iron are present.[1] The oxide-hydroxide species [Fe,xO,yH]+, and especially [FeOH]+, are potential iron compounds in the ISM, but spectroscopic...
Understanding the mechanisms of electrochemical reactions is essential for numerous applications, including the development of efficient electrocatalysts, redox flow batteries, and electrosynthesis processes. Traditional techniques like voltammetry and bulk electrolysis, while useful, offer limited molecular-level insights into these reactions. As a result, complementary spectroscopic methods...
Please find attached abstract for oral presentation (invited).
Transition metals and their oxides are relevant for fields like materials science or biochemistry, and have manifold industrial applications. They can serve as catalysts for water activation as an early step in the formation of molecular hydrogen [1]. Tantalum is a third row transition metal and in the past a variety of studies were performed on reactions involving water [2]. In order to be...
Human metabolism generates ten thousands of small molecules regulating important functions in our physiology. Dysruptions of metabolic enzymes by genetic mutations result in severe, debilitating diseases, called Inborn Metabolic Disorders (IMDs). IMDs are among the top 3 of most deadly diseases in children and therapies are available for only ~15%.
Modern high-resolution mass spectrometry...
Carbocations, as reactive intermediates, play a significant role in many organic reactions. A detailed description of their structure and stability is relevant in the understanding of such reactions and thus crucial for modern synthetic chemistry. Carbocations are distinguished into two classes, classical (carbenium) and non-classical (carbonium) carbocations, where the non-classical...
Steroidal hormones play a crucial role as chemical messengers within organisms. Their profound influence on various physiological processes makes them a prime focus for analysis in healthcare and many other biochemical fields. While their metabolic pathways are extensively studied and numerous MS(/MSn) spectra are available (e.g., in the HMDB), the fragmentation pathways of steroidal hormones...
