Bruker BioSpin of Karlsruhe, Germany, announced its first order for an Elexsys™ E780 system, the first commercial mm-wave 263-GHz EPR (electron paramagnetic resonance) spectrometer and its EPR division's first foray into quasi-optical microwave technology. The E780 incorporates a 

A very high frequency EPR probe. (Photo: Bruker BioSpin)

unique superconducting magnet that can be ramped up to 12 Tesla, and when combined with new EPR probe technology for optimum sensitivity, can measure large samples up to 5 mm. The E780 provides multiple turnkey operation modes including CW- and Pulse-EPR, as well as ENDOR (electron nuclear double resonance) and ELDOR (electron-electron double resonance), enabling research groups to use 263-GHz EPR technology routinely for the first time. The first E780 system is expected to be installed at the Helmholtz-Zentrum in Berlin in late 2009 for pioneering new EPR applications in solar energy and photovoltaic research, as the new instrument can provide important details about the structure of defects in thin-film silicon solar cells. The complete E780 order totals more than $2.2 million and was supported by the recent German stimulus package “Konjunkturpaket.” It represents the start of a new research collaboration project between Bruker and the Helmholtz-Zentrum on EPR probe development for electrical detection.