Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) Open Labs Day

On 23rd August 2025, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR)
opened its doors to the public for this year’s Open Labs Day

With more than 5,000 visitors exploring the Rossendorf campus, the event offered an impressive variety of interactive stations, presentations, and tours. Guests had the opportunity to experience cutting-edge research firsthand and engage directly with scientists from across all institutes and departments.

One highlight was the station hosted by Dr. Nico Klingner, where visitors could explore the fascinating properties of Galinstan – a silvery alloy of gallium, indium, and tin that is liquid at room temperature. With protective gloves, guests were even able to touch the liquid metal. The demonstration connected everyday curiosity with advanced research: at HZDR, such alloys are used in ion sources that enable focused ion beams for applications ranging from materials research to quantum technologies.

This research also ties into the recently launched four-year European project EquSpace, which aims to develop a new type of silicon-based quantum computer. By implanting individual bismuth atoms into ultrapure silicon-28, researchers hope to realize donor spin qubits capable of long computing times and novel quantum couplings.

The Open Labs Day once again showcased HZDR as a strong research community, offering the public unique insights into pioneering science and technology.