The PETRA IV X-ray light source and the IceCube-Gen2 neutrino telescope were recognised for their high scientific excellence, innovation and transfer potential, as well as their well-thought-out planning. Being shortlisted by the federal government has set the course for research infrastructure that is unparalleled worldwide: PETRA IV will enable researchers to analyse diverse structures, systems and processes on the nanoscale with unprecedented resolution and speed. The fields of application range from bio and quantum technologies to sustainable materials and new batteries to microelectronics and materials research. IceCube-Gen2, the international neutrino telescope, is the powerful successor to the IceCube detector, which has been in operation at the South Pole since 2010. It will detect significantly more cosmic neutrinos in the future and gain new insights into their sources, the Earth's atmosphere and the properties of Antarctic ice.
PETRA IV will be many times more brilliant, precise and faster than the existing PETRA III facility and will also be able to ‘film’ nanoscopic structural changes – hence the name 4D. This consolidates DESY's position at the forefront of X-ray light sources worldwide, increases Germany's attractiveness for excellent scientists and strengthens the innovative capacity of industry in Germany. Up to 20 percent of the measurement time can be reserved for industrial applications. ‘Having such a brilliant X-ray light source in our own country means independence: not having to wait for experimental opportunities on other continents and having unrestricted, exclusive access to the data obtained,’ explains Beate Heinemann. The latter is particularly important for Europe in competition with the USA and China.
