Elke Arenholz

Elke Arenholz is the Director of the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. She oversees a team of approximately 350 staff, managing operational beamlines, advancing new experimental tools, and planning future beamline developments.

• Former Director of the Physical Sciences Division at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
• Co-leader of the Interconnected Science Ecosystem initiative at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Education

• Ph.D. in Physics (summa cum laude), Freie Universität Berlin
• Bachelor’s and Master’s in Condensed Matter Physics, University of Regensburg

Research Interests

Her work spans magnetism, X-ray spectroscopy, resonant X-ray scattering, and X-ray microscopy. She focuses on magnetization dynamics, spintronics, quantum materials characterization, and instrument development for synchrotron science.

Scientific Recognition

• IEEE Fellow (2024) for contributions to X-ray magnetic spectroscopy
• APS Fellow (2014)
• Klaus Halbach Award (2005) for soft X-ray vector magnetometer design
• Tim Renner Award (2001) for user support in high-profile ALS research

Community Engagement

• Active on proposal review panels, advisory committees, and conference organizing boards
• Founding Editor of npj Spintronics