ELI

Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) will be the only European and International Centre for high-level research on ultra-high intensity laser, laser-matter interaction and secondary sources with unparalleled possibilities. Its pulse peak power and briefness will go beyond the current state-of-the-art by several orders of magnitude. Because of its unique properties, this multidisciplinary facility will provide magnificent new opportunities to study the fundamental processes unfolded during light-matter interaction. ELI will create a platform, where Extreme Light applications for the benefit of society will be dynamically promoted.

In its mission ELI will practice a vigorous technology transfer to European SMEs and large firms. High on ELI agenda will be the training of aspiring scientists and engineers in the numerous disciplines associated with the Extreme Light. The ELI project, a collaboration of 13 European countries, will comprise four pillars: High Energy Beam Science devoted to the development and usage of dedicated beam lines with ultra short pulses of high energy radiation and particles reaching almost the speed of light. This part of ELI will be realized in Prague (Czech Republic) Attosecond Laser Science designed to conduct temporal investigation of electron dynamics in atoms, molecules, plasmas and solids at attosecond scale (10-18 sec.). Szeged (Hungary) will host the short pulse pillar of ELI. Laser-based Nuclear Physics pillar will be built in Magurele (near Bucharest/Romania) and will focus on laser-based nuclear physics. While atomic processes are well suited to the visible or near visible laser radiation, as a third pillar ELI-NP will generate radiation and particle beams with much higher energies, brilliances suited to studies of nuclear and fundamental processes. Ultra High Field Science that will explore relativistic laser-matter interaction in an energy range where totally new phenomena like radiation dominated interaction become dominant. The decision on the location of the technologically most challenging pillar will be taken in 2012 after validation of the technology.