Shaping What Comes Next

NSLS-II Director Elke Arenholz reflects on the past year's achievements and what we hope to accomplish in the year ahead

January 26, 2026

Dear Colleagues,

As we start the new year, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge our accomplishments over the past year and to thank you all for your contributions to NSLS-II’s success.

Together, users and staff advanced outstanding science and continued to position the facility as a world-leading synchrotron light source. These accomplishments demonstrate the strong partnership between NSLS-II users and staff across accelerator operations, beamlines, engineering, computing, administration, and user services.

In 2025, NSLS-II welcomed a large and engaged user community, including many first-time visitors. The breadth of science enabled throughout the year was reflected in a strong set of publications — a clear sign of both the productivity of the community and the expanding impact of NSLS-II’s science. These outcomes reflect both strong scientific demand and impact, as well as the high performance, reliability, and safe operation of the facility.

A major focus last year was planning for the future of NSLS-II. Through ten (!) scientific strategic planning workshops held in September and October, along with discussions at the NSLS-II/CFN Users’ Meeting, scientists from around the world contributed ideas and perspectives on emerging scientific needs and opportunities. These discussions will directly inform the selection of the next set of NEXT-III beamlines and the planning for an NSLS-II upgrade, helping ensure that the facility continues to meet the evolving needs of the user community. We look forward to seeing how these ideas develop.

At the same time, the three NEXT-II beamlines — the Coherent Diffractive Imaging (CDI) beamline, the Soft X-ray Nanoprobe (SXN), and the ARPES and RIXS Imaging beamline (ARI) — continue to advance toward completion. First light at CDI in October marked an important milestone, and steady progress continues on ARI and SXN as these beamlines move closer to full user operations in 2027.

None of this would be possible without the close partnership between users and staff and the continued commitment to safety, scientific excellence, operational rigor, and innovation. As we look ahead, I am excited and optimistic about what we will accomplish together in the coming year and beyond.

Setting up for Success

I would like to welcome both new and returning users to NSLS-II this year. For first-time users in particular, we aim to make access to the Laboratory, housing arrangements, and experiment preparation as straight forward and safe as possible. Completing your required training prior to the start of your beam time is essential. Our user guide outlines this and other key steps to your first visit and is a useful resource to have on hand. The Laboratory’s Guest Services page is another helpful reference , with information on on-site housing, transportation, meals, and other amenities during your visit. If questions come up, our User Services Office is always happy to help.

Wishing you all the best in this new year,

— Elke Arenholz, NSLS-II Director