6 Dec 2017
Nobel Prize Winner - Lecture Live Stream at CEITEC
One of the 2017 Nobel Laureates in chemistry, Professor Joachim Frank, visits Uppsala University and gives a public lecture on the research that led to his Nobel Prize.
Nobel Prize in Physics winner Donna Strickland, made her first visit to the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) in Dolní Břežany (near Prague), highlighting the critical role her pioneering work in laser physics plays in supporting ELI’s advanced research. Donna Strickland, a professor at the University of Waterloo in Canada, is celebrated for her groundbreaking development of Chirped Pulse Amplification (CPA) in 1985. This work, completed during her PhD at the University of Rochester alongside Gérard Mourou, earned her the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018. The CPA technique has revolutionised the generation of ultrafast, high-intensity laser pulses, which are crucial for applications ranging from corrective eye surgery to fundamental scientific research. Donna Strickland Mourou, who initially led the development of the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) in the early 2000s, helped establish facilities that specialise in generating these ultrashort and ultra-intense laser pulses. ELI is now a world leader in exploring fundamental physics phenomena and driving technological innovations across various disciplines, including high-energy physics, materials science, and biomedical applications. During her visit to the ELI Beamlines Facility on May 8-9, Strickland delivered a lecture detailing her collaborative work with Mourou that led to the invention of CPA. “I got the idea to produce coherent radiation in the extreme ultraviolet, which I thought would be a good PhD project, but I needed a more intense laser than we had at the time,” Strickland explained to the ELI staff. “Gérard suggested stretching the pulse by chirping it—or changing the frequency through the pulse—so it wouldn’t damage the laser.“ This innovative approach took about a year to perfect and resulted in her first published paper, a concise three-page document. “We wanted to publish the paper fast because we thought others were trying to do the same thing,” said Strickland. “As it turns out, nobody else really saw it, and I finished my PhD on a different topic.” Strickland continues to lead the ultrafast laser group at Waterloo, focusing on developing high-intensity laser systems for nonlinear optics investigations. She is the third woman to receive a Nobel Prize in Physics, following pioneers Marie Curie and Maria Goeppert Mayer. “It’s not an exaggeration to say Donna’s work made ELI possible,” says ELI Director General Allen Weeks emphasised the significance of Strickland’s contributions “CPA technology, which Strickland helped develop, is a key driver of ELI’s laser systems.” In addition to her lecture, Strickland was able to tour the ELI labs and see some of the most advanced versions of the lasers she helped to create. She also listened to the selected work of some of ELI’s most promising young researchers. She plans to encourage Canadian researchers to visit and use the facilities. Source: https://eli-laser.eu/news/nobel-laureate-donna-strickland-visits-eli-for-the-first-time/
Experts, policymakers, and stakeholders from the Visegrád Group (V4) countries – Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia – convened in Brussels on April 18th 2024 to explore the pivotal role of research infrastructures (RIs) in advancing scientific frontiers. Organized by V4 R&I support offices in Brussels (CZELO, SLORD, PolSCA, NRDIO), the conference provided a platform for discussing the future trajectory of RIs and their financing mechanisms. José Luis Martínez, Chair of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI), outlined in keynote speech the main findings from the report on Financing RIs. He emphasized the need for synergy among funding sources at regional, national, and EU levels to ensure the availability of relevant RIs for European scientists. José Luis Martínez – Chair of ESFRI ELI Beamlines’ Global Impact He was followed by Allan Weeks, Director General of the ELI Delivery Consortium, who showcased the global significance of ELI Beamlines, a cutting-edge laser facility exploring the unprecedented intensities of light-matter interaction. ELI ERIC, established in April 2021, is made up from staff located in Hungary and Czech Republic of which there are total 627 with 47 nationalities. Weeks invited scientists worldwide to utilize the facility, highlighting its role in pushing scientific boundaries. Luboš Halada from the Slovak Academy of Sciences discussed Slovakia’s involvement in the eLTER research infrastructure. Martin Šponiar, representing the Ministry of Education, Research, Development, and Youth of the Slovak Republic, emphasized Slovakia’s support for existing infrastructures. The Polish representative introduced Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center. Advancing Open Science and FAIR Data Ute Gunsenheimer, Secretary General of the EOSC Association, elaborated on the future of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) initiative. She emphasized the Tripartite Collaboration and the evolution of EOSC nodes towards the creation of the EOSC Federation, aiming to enhance the production of FAIR research output. Debating Future Trajectories The afternoon session featured speakers from Ministries, Permanent Representations of V4 countries, and a representative from the European Commission. This session focused on the future trajectory of research infrastructures as well as on the future financial and legislative goals with a lively debate on potential enhancements for FP10.
A team of international scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT, and the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) collaborated on an experiment to optimise high-intensity high-repetition rate laser technology using machine learning. The experiment represents a significant leap forward in the study, understanding, and practical application of high-intensity lasers. “Our goal was to demonstrate robust diagnosis of laser-accelerated ions and electrons from solid targets at a high intensity and repetition rate,” explains Matthew Hill of LLNL, the lead researcher. “Supported by rapid feedback from a machine-learning optimisation algorithm to the laser front end, it was possible to maximise the total ion yield of the system.” This collaborative effort and the utilisation of state-of-the-art laser technology coupled with machine learning techniques have opened new avenues for advancements in various fields such as medical therapy, materials science, and non-destructive analysis in the field of cultural heritage and archaeology. The team participating in the collaborative experiment Over 4000 shots fired during the campaign, which consistently exceeded laser intensities of 3×10^21 W/cm² onto solid targets, demonstrated optimisation of ion yield above the nominal baseline performance. “The high quality and large volume of data that was produced and must now be worked with to explore the underlying physics validates the hard work of the entire team,” notes Hill. The experiment took place at the ELI Beamlines Facility in the Czech Republic, where the researchers utilised the state-of-the-art High-Repetition-Rate Advanced Petawatt Laser System (L3-HAPLS) to generate protons in the ELIMAIA Laser-Plasma Ion accelerator. The L3-HAPLS laser is renowned for its laser performance repeatability, precision, beam quality, and the ability to generate intense laser pulses at a high repetition rate to drive the generation of secondary sources such as electrons, ions, and x-rays. The unprecedented shot-to-shot repeatability of L3-HAPLS allows scientists to focus on the understanding of laser-plasma interaction physics. “By harnessing the HAPLS and pioneering machine learning techniques, we embarked on a remarkable endeavor to further comprehend the intricate physics of laser-plasma interactions,” adds Constantin Haefner, Managing Director of Fraunhofer ILT. “This collaborative effort serves as a testament to the strength of teamwork and technological advancements in pushing the boundaries of scientific knowledge together.” Demonstrating the integration of machine learning between target diagnostics and the dispersion controls of a high-power, high-repetition-rate laser is a significant milestone both for the facility and the wider high energy density science community. “The successful execution of such a complex experiment showcases the cutting-edge quality and reliability of the L3-HAPLS laser system,” says Bedrich Rus, Chief Laser Scientist at ELI Beamlines. Daniele Margarone, Director of Research and Operations of ELI Beamlines concludes, “With such experiments ELI demonstrates the readiness and ability to pushing the frontiers of knowledge. We at ELI are committed to enable transformative experiments that redefine what’s possible in laser science and beyond. Original source: ELI ERIC