Press release of July 8, 2025

DALI clears important hurdle on the path to implementation

HZDR project shortlisted by the Federal Ministry of Research

The Dresden Advanced Light Infrastructure (DALI), a large-scale research facility planned at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), has achieved a significant milestone. The Federal Ministry for Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) has included the project on its shortlist of priority research infrastructures in Germany. This announcement was made by Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär at a press conference in Berlin on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. With this recognition, DALI is now among a select group of major scientific initiatives considered especially worthy of support due to their potential to secure and enhance Germany’s long-term innovation capabilities.

"Being placed on the shortlist is a great success for us and a decisive step toward establishing the world’s most powerful terahertz source here in Dresden," says Prof. Sebastian M. Schmidt, Scientific Director at HZDR. "This unique facility will make cutting-edge research possible in ways previously unavailable to us – from information technology and medical research to the energy transition and other future-oriented application areas. I’m convinced that DALI’s scientific breadth will attract top researchers from across the globe – significantly boosting not only our region’s innovative capacity, but also the international visibility of Germany as a science location in the long term.”

DALI: A true multi-talent as a light-source

DALI is a light source operating in the terahertz (THz) frequency range, that is electron-accelerator-based and coupled with laser radiation. The facility enables a detailed look into the world of elementary quantum processes in virtually any type of matter. DALI’s THz light pulses will be so intense that new, previously non-existent states of matter can be generated in a targeted manner.

To achieve this, DALI will use multiple superconducting accelerators to propel billions of electrons per second to nearly the speed of light. These extremely high-energy electron clouds are then compressed and, through the use of magnetic fields, coherently emit intense THz pulses. At the same time, the laser radiation allows the processes generated with THz light to be observed. The result: a "movie" that decodes the microscopic quantum processes in the material sample with ultimate temporal precision.

With this technology, DALI will enable scientists to deliberately trigger microscopic processes using light and generate excited states of matter. This capability is essential for the development of novel materials that could serve as the foundation for breakthrough innovations. Quantum technologies in particular are seen as a cornerstone for future applications in many areas – yet without THz radiation, quantum research faces clear limitations. DALI will literally "shed light on" these dark areas and provide the basis for the advancement of quantum technologies and a wide range of other applications.

This highly sought-after radiation is currently difficult and inefficient to produce using existing technologies. DALI may provide a pioneering solution to this problem by bridging the largely unexplored gap between the worlds of electronics and optics. As a result, researchers from around the world and across disciplines are already enthusiastic about the potential of DALI. From materials science and health research to information technology, chemistry, and climate protection – THz radiation and, therefore, DALI will tap into completely novel fields of research in the future, giving rise to unprecedented applications. 

About the National Prioritization Process:

In 2024, the Federal Ministry of Research launched a new process to prioritize large-scale research infrastructures in Germany. The aim of this initiative is to identify projects that combine scientific excellence with strong potential for innovation and knowledge transfer. The submitted proposals were evaluated by the German Council of Science and Humanities, the key scientific advisory body to the federal and state governments. The evaluation criteria included scientific potential, usability by the broader research community, importance for Germany as a research location, and technical feasibility.

The shortlist includes projects deemed of high strategic importance from a research policy perspective. While inclusion on the list does not yet constitute a funding or implementation commitment, it marks a critical step in the planning process. The final decision will be made based on strategic considerations, further refinement of the project concepts, and the availability of public funds.