23–28 Aug 2026
America/Los_Angeles timezone

Returning European XFEL to user operation after the 2025 long shutdown

MOP44
24 Aug 2026, 16:00
2h
Poster Presentation Session 4: SASE FEL Monday Poster Session

Speaker

Matthias Scholz (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY)

Description

Following the long installation and maintenance period in the second half of 2025, the European XFEL accelerator complex was successfully recommissioned and returned to user operation. During the shutdown, numerous modifications and upgrades were implemented across the accelerator and associated infrastructure, including improvements to the cryogenic system, the injector and the undulator beamlines, to name just a few.
The restart phase required coordinated recommissioning and optimization efforts to restore stable operation of the new electron source, the superconducting linac and the FEL beamlines.
Despite the large number of hardware and software changes introduced during the shutdown, the facility successfully recovered its previous performance. In several operational aspects, FEL performance already exceeded the levels achieved before the shutdown.
This contribution summarizes the major accelerator modifications performed during shutdown, the recommissioning strategy, the challenges encountered during startup, and the operational performance achieved during the first months after restart.

I have read and accept the Privacy Policy Statement Yes

Authors

Matthias Scholz (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY) Winfried Decking (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY)

Presentation materials

There are no materials yet.