EXC 1074: The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging (CUI): Structure, Dynamics and Control of Matter at the Atomic Scale

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One of the great dream experiments in science is to directly observe atomic motions during a chemical event - that is to watch atoms move apart during a bond breaking process as it happens. Information about this transition state is equally central to understanding biology at its most fundamental level; similar examples of significant impact can be made in areas of condensed matter physics, quantum materials, and AMO physics. Central to the research at the Cluster of Excellence Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging (CUI) are the new ultrabright x-ray and electron sources, which enable the scientists to observe structural dynamics of matter at the fundamental space-time limits. The main scientific objectives then are: (1) direct observation of transition state processes that unify chemistry and biology at the molecular level; (2) direct resolution of the correlation between structure and function in biological systems; (3) open up protein nanocrystallography and increase the structural basis of biology; (4) demonstration of quantum simulators for many body physics and resolution of mechanism of strongly correlated systems; (5) directly observe nucleation/self assembly at the atomic level to bridge molecular basis to nanotechnology. Some Explanation: The current picture of how to control chemistry is based on semi-empirical methods to calculate the structure of the transition state. The prospect of experimentally resolving transition state structure will have an enormous impact in how we control chemical processes. Similar arguments on impact can be made for determining the correlation between structure and function of biological systems. We currently only have static before and after pictures or at best transient intermediate structures by which we try to understand how proteins direct chemical processes. Another problem to be faced is that there are only a few hundred structures for membrane bound proteins in the protein data bank. These structures are needed at least as starting points to consider drug design. CUI will introduce millions of crystals into the beam lines in rapid succession and then use a programme to collect, sort, and filter the massive amounts of data that will be forthcoming. In condense matter physics and quantum materials, the ultrabright x-ray and electron sources promise to give atomic level details, directly revealing the electron-lattice coupling, even for complex systems. With regard to nanotechnology CUI provides the necessary tools to follow the nucleation phenomena in the growth of nanoparticles and defect formation.