EPJ D Highlight - Generating powerful BEUV light with a next-gen free-electron laser
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- Published on 08 June 2026
Using the SHINE facility, researchers show that undulator tapering can unlock kilowatt-level beyond extreme ultraviolet free-electron laser radiation with controllable polarisation
Free-electron lasers (FELs) produce extremely short, bright pulses of light by passing bunches of electrons through an undulator: a periodic array of alternating magnets which force electrons to wiggle back and forth. This generates light which re-interacts with the electrons, causing their vibrations to resonate and vastly boosting the laser's intensity.
Through new research published in EPJ D, Hanxiang Yang, Haixiao Deng, and colleagues at the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, show how SHINE, a next-generation FEL facility under development, could be used to produce controllably polarised light in the beyond extreme ultraviolet (BEUV) range. These wavelengths are valuable across numerous fields of research and industry, and they are especially useful for optical lithography: a cutting-edge technique which uses light to transfer patterns onto light-sensitive layers. With tight levels of control over the light's polarisation, they could also be used to manufacture the integrated circuits demanded by many emerging technologies.
EPJ RI Highlight - Identifying origins of anti-science sentiments for large-scale research projects
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- Published on 08 June 2026
An extensive international survey reveals that only a small portion of the public has a negative perception relating to a new particle collider that could eventually be constructed at CERN. The analysis shows that their views are rooted in a mistrust in science and publicly funded projects.
Research infrastructures (RIs) are large-scale facilities that provide resources for research communities – including equipment, data archives, and communications networks. As they aim to tackle global challenges including climate change, sustainable energy, and public health, RIs are attracting increasing attention from scientists and policymakers alike.
Among the public, however, understanding of RI activities and subsequent support for public funding is often limited. So far, the factors driving these sentiments haven’t been systematically investigated, and it was unclear whether they stem from similar anti-science sentiments to those found among people who deny climate change, or in anti-vaccine movements.
Through a new study published in EPJ Research Infrastructures, Francesco Giffoni and colleagues at CSIL (Milan, Italy) and CERN (Switzerland and France), carried out a contingent value analysis, including a study of public attitudes towards a new particle collider, currently being conceived by an international collaboration hosted by CERN. The results yield valuable insights into why some members of the public would oppose such a project.
Irena Drevenšek Olenik joins the EPJ Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC)
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- Published on 01 June 2026
The Steering Committee of EPJ is delighted to welcome Irena Drevenšek Olenik, as the new representative of the Society of Mathematicians, Physicists and Astronomers of Slovenia.
Professor Irena DREVENŠEK OLENIK is a Professor of Physics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at the University of Ljubljana and a Senior Research Fellow at the Jožef Stefan Institute in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Her research focuses on the experimental investigations of soft materials using advanced optical techniques. In recent years, her work has centered on the nonlinear optical properties of ferroelectric liquid crystals and the development of optical sensing methods for magnetically actuated soft robotic systems.
Alongside her research and teaching, she is actively engaged in science communication and in promoting science to the broader public. She is the recipient of the Society of Mathematicians, Physicists and Astronomers of Slovenia award for outstanding work with young people.
