Collaboration with the user community is a core part of MAX IV’s work. One joint initiative is enabled through close interaction with universities, with postdoctoral researchers dividing their time between a university research group and the synchrotron.
Materials scientists seek to develop better lithium (Li) metal batteries by improving structural stability and reducing dendrite formation that causes battery failure. It is well-known that instability at the metal electrode-electrolyte interface causes lithium dendrite growth, leading to short-circuiting and formation of inactive lithium. New electrolyte designs that control lithium deposition during cycling may solve these issues. Researchers are investigating liquid crystalline (LC) electrolytes under different conditions at MAX IV’s ForMAX beamline to determine whether these electrolytic materials are possible to align on demand. Successful results hold promise to propel the development of Li metal batteries as a next-generation power solution for electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
Mirjam Lindberg, a long-time valued member of MAX IV’s Technical Division and previously the group manager of the Software Group, stepped up as Interim Technical Director starting 1 January 2026. She fills the position previously held by Anna-Hultin Stigenberg, who retired on 1 January 2026.
A battery research collaboration focusing on lithium-ion alternatives is starting at MAX IV. The collaboration involving Swedish and Danish universities is a pilot for the new HUB user access mode.
The MAX IV organisation is taking the MAX 4U science case and key messages on the benefits of high brilliance X-ray analysis on the road this spring, visiting more than a dozen universities in Sweden for presentations and discussion.
MAX IV’s first artist in residence, Jennifer Rainsford has revealed her plans for a science-inspired artwork crafted with X-rays and experiences from the experimental halls of MAX IV. With insights from ForMAX, NanoMAX and other beamlines and the laser lab, her new exhibit and film will offer the public a fresh perspective and closer look at research conducted at Sweden’s large-scale research infrastructure, MAX IV.
Semiconductor nanoparticles can emit light or act as sensors, and their properties can be tailored to specific purposes. One particle alone is often not enough, but in an ordered material composed of many nanoparticles, the properties are amplified. A research team has used MAX IV to show that such ordered materials can be formed from low-cost, versatile perovskite semiconductor nanoparticles.
The unique scientific capabilities of large-scale research infrastructures like MAX IV are a powerful tool for industrial innovation. With its latest call, Vinnova seeks to support projects that help Swedish companies turn facilities like MAX IV and ESS into real innovation assets by increasing industry’s understanding of relevant research techniques.
Electronics built from ferroelectric materials have low power consumption and are well-suited for information storage. Their competitiveness depends on developing novel architectures on the nanoscale. A research team from Lund University and ETH Zurich in Switzerland has used the NanoMAX beamline at MAX IV to image through metal contacts on the ferroelectric material bismuth ferrite to see how they affect the material beneath them.