High-field research at the European XFEL

We present an initiative to build up a beamline at the European XFEL. This HELMHOLTZBEAMLINE will establish multi-purpose high-power and ultra-intense lasers as well as high-field magnets at the SASE2 end-station of the European XFEL. It will extend the scope of research that can be carried out at the European XFEL beyond the baseline instruments, especially in the areas of strong-field physics, high energy density science, relativistic laserplasma physics, ultra high-pressure astro- and planetary-physics, dynamic-materials research, and magnetic phenomena in condensed matter. At the European XFEL, an x-ray fluence in a single macropulse (600 microseconds, 2700 micropulses, each with 1E12 photons) will be available to, e.g., map out a full field profile for a magnetic absorption spectroscopy experiment, to probe the electronic or ionic structure in a single micropulse, or to investigate magnet-field driven phase transitions. The high photon fluence at the XFEL will allow for using pulsed-field magnets for a wide range of experimental techniques. The HELMHOLTZBEAMLINE will be used to drive matter to extremes of temperature, density, pressure, field strength, and/or particle irradiation, which can be probed with the XFEL beams; or alternatively to probe XFEL-driven samples with laser-generated particles or radiation. The HELMHOLTZ-BEAMLINE is being proposed for funding from the Helmholtz Association research area Matter, by partners HZDR, DESY and HI-Jena. Over 80 research groups from more than 60 institutions in 15 countries have joined this User Consortium as External Partners.