P08 is designed for high resolution diffraction and scattering studies of condensed matter samples. High resolution in this context alludes to real space and simultaneously reciprocal space. In other words, in diffraction geometry crystal lattice parameters can be determined with an accuracy of 10^-5 whereas small angle scattering and in some cases reflectometry is sensitive to length scales up to some micrometers, which corresponds to some 10^‑4Å^‑1. Larger objects can be investigated by tuning the beam spot down to 20x2 µm² (horizontally x vertically) and rasterizing the sample.

P08 is an undulator beamline, and the beam properties can be adjusted in a wide range by the use of the high heat-load double crystal monochromator (DCM), the large offset monochromator (LOM) and two sets of compound refractive lenses (CRL), one at the optics hutch with 30 m focal length and one in the experimental hutch with 1.5 m focal length. The use of the CRLs determines the four modes at which P08 can run: the raw mode (RM) with unfocused beam, the collimation mode (CM), the focusing mode (FM) using the lenses in the optics hutch only, and the micro-focusing mode (µM). The photon energy can be tuned between 7 and 25 keV with a flux of 10¹¹ to 10¹² photons per second, a beam size between 1500x100 µm² and 20x2 µm² at an energy resolution of some 10^-5. X-ray mirrors are not in use. The suppression of the higher harmonic radiation is realized by the monochromator crystals with an efficiency of 10⁸.

In the experimental hutch two diffractometers are available. A high precision 6-circle diffractometer with Eulerial cradle serves for investigations at hard condensed matter samples. It can fit sample environments of 30kg weight with precision of 0.0005° and wobble of 20µm. It is mainly used for structural investigations and strain/stress determination of thin films, surfaces, and interfaces. Other applications are single crystal diffraction, powder diffraction at complex materials, reflectometry and small angle scattering. User setups can been adapted on request.

For liquid samples the specialized diffractometer LISA, which has been constructed by University of Kiel, is available. It can handle apparatus for liquids, such as Langmuir troughs.

Area detectors are available for the experiments: a Dectris Pilatus-100K pixel detector with 1 mm thick Si-sensor, a large area Perkin Elmer flat-panel detector, a Dectris Eiger-1M pixel detector from University of Kiel, and on request the DESY Lambda pixel detector and a Dectris Pilatus-300k pixel detector.