Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging (CUI)

Observation of atomic motions in real-time is the focus of research in the Cluster of Excellence Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging (CUI). Scientists in the Cluster aim to render elementary processes such as chemical reactions visible at the molecular level.

The main goal of the Cluster is to investigate and comprehend the dynamics of basic physical and chemical processes on all relevant length and energy scales and to be in a position to control and steer these processes with precision.

Observing atomic motions has been made possible by the development of ultra-brilliant electron and X-ray sources, and the Cluster's scientists are international leaders in this technique.

The Cluster is a research network for the Hamburg region made up of scientists from the Departments of Physics and Chemistry at Universität Hamburg, DESY, the Max Planck Society and the Centre for Free Electron Laser Research (CFEL).

The German Research Foundation (DFG) has been funding the CUI since 2012.

Spokespeople for the Cluster are Prof. Dr. Dwayne Miller, professor for free-electron laser science in the Department of Physics at Universität Hamburg, Prof. Dr. Klaus Sengstock from the Institute for Laser Physics at Universität Hamburg, and Prof. Dr. Horst Weller from the Institute for Physical Chemistry at Universität Hamburg.