Pioneer cutting-edge research in photoelectron characterisation and advanced materials synthesis thanks to the Operando HAXPES and UHV PLD Laboratory.
The Operando HAXPES and UHV PLD Lab is a new facility and has been operational since June 2024. Our facility is equipped with two novel instruments:
Operando HAXPES
The Operando HAXPES (Near-Ambient Pressure Soft- and Hard X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy) makes it possible to look inside energy materials and electronic devices using a completely new three-colour X-ray source (Al K-alpha, Ag L-alpha, and Cr K-alpha, to be installed soon). The unique feature of this facility, developed by the XPS pioneer SPECS together with MESA+, is that it is possible to look inside materials while the materials are active. We can even measure at the interface between solid materials and liquids, which is essential for energy applications.
The HAXPES creates a unique ‘measurement bubble’ and by cleverly pumping the gases and the liquid, it makes it possible to see through the liquid into the deeper layers to study material behaviour and interface properties. These unique qualities will be applied, among other things, in developing new materials for batteries and for water electrolysis to produce green hydrogen.
Impression of the machine, with the X-ray source and the analysis chamber in the center (source: SPECS)
The HAXPES machine is a national user facility, made possible through a 2,2 million euro grant from the 'NWO-large' programme of the Dutch Research Council, for large investments in innovative lab equipment. Scientists from the Netherlands, Europe, and around the world are invited to join us in exploring the new pathways provided by operando HAXPES.
State-of-the-art Pulsed Laser Deposition
The new state-of-the-art Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) enables the precise synthesis of high-performance thin films and nanostructures, which are essential for applications in energy, information technology and fundamental materials science. Key features include:
- oxide, nitride, carbide ceramic thin films with atomic precision
- two vacuum-connected deposition stations
- ultra-high vacuum conditions and ultra-pure process gasses.
- direct sample heating with a CO2 laser offering ultra-high temperatures without the use of glues
- high-resolution reflection, high energy diffraction
- vacuum transfer of samples
- in situ XPS/XPD characterization (in progress)
- various options on in situ/real-time characterization tools (in progress)
Selected publications
The capabilities of the Operando HAXPES and UHV PLD laboratory support cutting-edge research into thin films, oxide heterostructures and functional materials. Recent research enabled by these facilities has resulted in peer-reviewed publications, including:
- Laboratory-based in situ and operando tricolor X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
Science Advances (2025) - Effect of deposition template on high entropy oxide model systems for the oxygen evolution reaction
Journal of Physics: Materials (2026) - Extrinsic and Intrinsic Charge Transfer at Interfaces of Membrane-Based Oxide Heterostructures
Advanced Electronic Materials (2026) - Synthesis of Epitaxial TaO₂ Thin Films on Al₂O₃ by Suboxide Molecular-Beam Epitaxy and Thermal Laser Epitaxy
APL Materials (2026) - Uncovering the Role of Intrinsic Magnetic Order in Oxygen Evolution Reaction Activity With Operando Spectroscopy
Advanced Energy Materials (2026)
How to apply
Please contact us for more information about the Operando HAXPES national facility and the PLD and to make a reservation, via operando-XPS@utwente.nl.
Relevant news items
Our team
Contacts and advisory board
User Committee
International Advisory Board
- Rik Mom - Leiden University (r.v.mom@lic.leidenuniv.nl)
- Emiel Hensen - Eindhoven University of Technology (e.j.m.hensen@tue.nl)
- Moniek Tromp - University of Groningen (moniek.tromp@rug.nl)
- Mark Golden - University of Amsterdam (m.s.golden@uva.nl)
- Frank de Groot - Utrecht University (F.M.F.deGroot@uu.nl)
- Marcel Risch - Helmholtz Center Berlin, Germany (marcel.risch@helmholtz-berlin.de)
- Jan Philipp Hofmann - Technical University Darmstadt, Germany (hofmann@surface.tu-darmstadt.de)
- Alex Gray - Temple University, USA (axgray@temple.edu)
- Slavomir Nemsak - Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA (SNemsak@lbl.gov)
- Hendrik Bluhm - Fritz Haber Institute, Berlin, Germany (bluhm@fhi-berlin.mpg.de)
- Kelsey Stoerzinger - Oregon State University, USA (kelsey.stoerzinger@oregonstate.edu)
- Astrid Besmehn - Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany (Besmehn, Astrid a.besmehn@fz-juelich.de)