
The excellence cluster "Hamburg Center for Ultrafast Imaging" (CUI) focuses on observing the movement of atoms in real-time. Elementary processes such as chemical reactions will be made visible at the molecular level.
The cluster aims to investigate, understand and precisely steer the dynamics of basic physical and chemical processes on all significant length and energy scales.
Observing the movement of atoms has become possible thanks to the development of ultra-brilliant electron and x-ray sources. The scientists working with these sources are at the international forefront.
The cluster is a research association of Hamburg scientists in the Departments of Physics and Chemistry at Universität Hamburg as well as at DESY, the Max Planck Society and the Center for Free Electron Research (CFEL).
The excellence cluster has been receiving funding from the German Research Foundation since 2012.
Spokespeople include Prof. Dr. Dwayne Miller, Professor for Free-Electron 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.