We present the synthesis of Bi1–x Sb x nanowires with controlled composition between x = 0.05 and x = 0.40 over a wide range of diameters (20–100 nm) interesting for the investigation of the enhancement of thermoelectric efficiency via quantum size effects. We find that the relative concentration of Bi and Sb ions in the electrolyte, together with the deposition potential, determines the resulting nanowire composition. Morphology and composition were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Two different templates were fabricated to enable the synthesis of nanowires with smooth and rough contour.

We report on an experiment conducted at the ESR storage ring aiming at the study of the X-ray emission of $$\text {Xe}^{54+}$$ Xe 54 + ions colliding with Xe atoms at a beam energy of 50 MeV/u. The radiation resulting from the ion–atom interaction was observed using a high-resolution spectrometer based on metallic–magnetic calorimeter technology. In order to benchmark the capabilities of these detectors for high-precision atomic physics experiments, we identified several transitions from H-like and He-like xenon and determined their energies. Furthermore, the 1s-Lamb shift in $$\text {Xe}^{53+}$$ Xe 53 + was estimated using the measured line energies. The results are compared with previous experimental studies and theoretical predictions. Graphicalabstract