Launch of 2 new ANR projects at LOA
Edited: 2012/02/17
Two new research programs selected by the French Ministery of Research (ANR), ILA and ROLEX, have been lauched this february, 2012.
The ILA project aims at pushing forward the development of compact laser-driven sources of particles and radiation by using the next generation of multi-PW lasers, and measuring laser-accelerated high energy (GeV) particles with innovative diagnostic approaches. It combines the expertise of the French LOA group in the particle acceleration field to the Romanian IFIN-HH expertise in high-energy accelerator beam and particle detection technology. It’s an ambitious proposal as it addresses the development of four key particle and radiation sources: electrons, ions, energetic radiation and neutrons.
The main objective of ROLEX is to numerically and experimentally investigate an innovative approach to produce the very first multi-microjoules monochromatic coherent femtosecond laser source in the 10-nm range enabling to overpass the current bottlenecks. Our approach is based on the guiding of frequency-doubled multi-TW laser driver focused into a high density plasma soft X-ray amplifier driven by ultrafast recombination pumping.
ROLEX brings together a unique combination of French laboratories from the "Plateau de Saclay" working on ultra-intense lasers, laser based X-ray sources, guiding of high intensity infrared laser pulses, and hydrodynamic and atomic physics (LOA, CEA, ISMO, LULI, LPGP).
"Equipements d'Excellence" ATTOLAB selected
Edited: 2011/12/25
The selection of the second round of national "Equipement of Excellence (EQUIPEX)" has just been released. Two projects in which the LOA is a partner, ATTOLAB and MORPHOSCOPE2, were selected. EQUIPEX are part of the operation "Investments for the Future" set up by the French Ministry of Research. They aim to provide France with scientific equipment of intermediate size (ie, between 1 and 20 million euros), which will benefit all areas of research. ATTOLAB's goal includes the establishment of a new experimental center, based on the Paris-Saclay campus, dedicated to studies of ultrafast electron dynamics in areas such as atomic, molecular, chemical, solid state physics and plasma physics. It was awarded 5 million euros. The CEA is the coordinator (SPAM) and the project gathers 9 partners. The LOA duty is to specifically set up systems for plasma physics. MORPHOSCOPE2 is an infrastructure project incorporating technological developments in microscopic imaging, storage and algorithmic analysis of datato advance the understanding of biological processes and in predicting their behavior according to genetic or environmental variations. It is coordinated by the Ecole Polytechnique (LOB) and gathers around twenty partners.
Press release of the selected 36 national projects: here, with the two summaries ATTOLAB and MORPHOSCOPE2.
Spring-8 XFEL in operation
Edited: 2011/06/08
The SPring-8 Angstrom Compact free electron Laser (SACLA) came on line at the RIKEN Harima Institute. SACLA is the second laser of its type in operation, following LCLS at the U.S. Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Producing the world’s highest energy X-ray laser light, SACLA offers scientists a new tool for studying and understanding the arrangement of atoms moving extremely rapidly in various materials. The technology used makes this instrument more compact compared to the LCLS. On his side, LOA is developing new techniques based on laser-produced plasmas to make even more compact sources of intense ultrafast X-ray radiation.
xfel.riken.jp/information/index_en.html
RTRA Triangle de la Physique
Edited: 2011/03/07
The Triangle of Physics is a thematic research network (RTRA) in physical sciences, from fundamental physics to applied physics. It brings together around areas beyond the rifts caused by their membership in various organizations, a set of laboratories, staff and researchers in physics, localized on the geographic triangle Orsay-Palaiseau-Saclay. Triangle de la Physique contains more than 1,000 scientists spread in 43 laboratories. Its goals is to support research through several flexible programs such as funding for chairs, equipment, conferences or workshops, salaries of postdocs or visitors. The topics of intense femtosecond laser and applications such as the physics of laser-matter interaction and plasmas has been efficiently supported by the RTRA through the theme 6, which includes 12 laboratories like the LOA. The Review 2010 has just been released and confirms its strong impact on the scientific research teams. 4630 M € have been distributed to 90 selected projects with a rejection rate of 32% (over € 13 million requested). Nearly € 18 million have been awarded since 2007. The Triangle of Physics RTRA will continue its work until 2012, the date from which the projects of Laboratories of Excellence (LABEX) selected in 2011 will then play a major role for fundings.
large scale intense femtosecond laser funded
Edited: 2011/01/20
... The large scale intense femtosecond laser infrastructure CILEX funded ...
The CILEX large scale infrastructure project of intense femtosecond laser and applications has been selected (15 M € for construction) by the french Ministery of Research. Following the first funds received few years ago by the "contrat plan region" (CPER) funding agency, a laser system from 5 to 10 PW and its experimental areas of physics of laser matter interaction and plasmas are going to be built thanks to a collaboration between all the partners working in this field within the Plateau de Saclay campus (ILE, LULI, LOA, UPSUD, CEA, ...). The infrastructure will be installed at l'Ormes des Merisiers, and will be surrounded by a set of “satellite facilities” operating laser systems at the 100 TW to 1 PW (LUIRE) energy level (LOA ‘Salle Jaune’, UHI100, LASERIX, LULI2000, ELFIE and LUIRE). They will be devoted to reduced‐scale relevant experiments, exploratory studies of novel concepts or applications based on laser‐matter interaction, and thanks to a versatile environment, training for students or scientific and technical staffs. They will allow to continue the development of the research on this scientific field during all the construction period. The infrastructure is expected to be delivered around 2015 for first users.
LASERLAB, phase III
Edited: 2010/12/03
... LaserLab : phase III ... LASERLAB-EUROPE, the Integrated Initiative of European Laser Infrastructures, prepares for its third phase.
On November 25, only 18 months since the predecessor project was launched, LASERLAB-EUROPE (www.laserlab-europe.eu), submitted a proposal to the European Commission in response to the Call INFRA-2011-1.1.19. Laser sources. The EC expects applicants under this Call to provide and facilitate access to the key laser facilities in Europe in the area of high-field science and short-pulse spectroscopy. In addition, they should aim to integrate these facilities and resources with a long term perspective, and stimulate new scientific activities in view of future new advanced European Laser facilities such as the Extreme Light Infrastructure ("ELI") and the High Power laser Energy Research facility ("HiPER").
During its third phase, expected to last from 2012 through 2015, LASERLAB-EUROPE will comprise 28 of the largest European laser infrastructures, including the LOA laboratory. Together with subcontractors and associate partners it will cover 19 European countries. In a rapidly changing environment of laser science the project defines its position between the basis of university groups and users on the one hand, and the Pan-European facilities on the other, keeping very close ties with both.
LASERLAB-EUROPE was first to develop an integrated concept of Transnational Access under Consortium governance, employing an external selection panel to ensure ultimate scientific quality. The concept includes “Dynamic Access”, i.e. flexible redistribution of EC resources according to varying offers and/or demand. Under this scheme the Consortium will provide nearly 3000 days of Access to an estimated 500 users through research opportunities at 20 RIs from 11 countries. In its Joint Research Activities LASERLAB-EUROPE will react to new scientific developments, including those stimulated by ELI and HiPER. A total of four JRAs include innovative radiation sources at the extremes, charged particle acceleration with intense lasers, research on lasers for innovation, technology and energy, and laser and photonics for biology and health. The project is requesting a total of 10 Million Euros.
Laboratoire d'Excellence PALM
Edited: 2010/11/04
As part of the french "Grand Emprunt" funding strategy, the LOA is one partner of the "Laboratoire d'Excellence" (LABEX) project called PALM (Physics: Atoms, Light, Matter) sent to referees November 22, 2010. This project brings together almost 40 laboratories around the Saclay plateau selected in the field of physics. Topics covered within this LABEX are: Lasers, High intensity physics ; Plasmas, Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics ; Condensed matter : mesocopic properties and transport ; Condensed matter : electronic and magnetic properties ; Soft matter ; Statistical and non-linear physics ; Physical chemistry
PALM wants to create a dynamic interaction between topics and different communities, and to provide all conditions for the emergence of new scientific themes. Its financial efforts will be at first concentrated on a small number of priority themes: correlated quantum systems, the slow dynamics and non-equilibrium systems, ultrafast dynamics and from the sources of radiation to the responses of multiscale in complex systems.
This last theme contains most of the activities of the LOA and aims to boost the interface between the community working on sources of radiations and particles, especially the ultra-fast laser sources, and communities using these tools to study the dynamics of the matter like in the diluted material (eg sub-femtosecond electron dynamics), the response in condensed matter (for example the study of strongly correlated systems by photoemission, the evolution of irradiated solids) or in the plasma phase, but also the biological functions studies (such as metabolism or photosynthesis) based on physico-chemical reactions associated with multi-scale processes of charge transfer or energy.
In addition to these topics, PALM will also propose a theme to be used specifically to promote the emergence of new ideas and scientific studies associated with high risks.
2011 national science festival at LOA
Edited: 2010/10/19
The LOA-ENSTA participates to the 2010 National Science Festival on Saturday, October 23 2010 from 14h to 18h. In collaboration with laboratories of the ENSTA Palaiseau campus, a guided tour through workshops presented by the research center shows how some complex physical phenomena can be approached quite easily from simple experiments and what are their implications in the daily life. Visitors can explore the world of optics and light through experiments showing the influence of Earth's atmosphere on sunlight or measuring the speed of the expansion of the universe using the Doppler effect.
This event is an nice opportunity to educate young people about physics as well as advertising research careers.
40 years of research at ENSTA
Edited: 2010/07/12
ENSTA celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2010. The event will be celebrated Monday, October 11, 2010. Events highlighting the evolution of ENSTA since its creation, the major advances that ENSTA has achieved and the technological and scientific issues at the forefront of national and international research currently pursued will be presented. Kiosks and scientific courses organized by ENSTA laboratories will also be part of the event.
ENSTA-mobile back at LOA
Edited: 2010/06/01
ENSTA-Mobile is one of three existing portable intense femtosecond laser in the world. The originality of this laser system is its ability to be installed in other environments than usual laboratory hosting intense laser systems. Built by Amplitude technology for LOA and supported by a DGA contract, this system is currently on the site of LOA ENSTA-Palaiseau.
The project ENSTA-Mobile has started in 2009 with several objectives. One of them is to demonstrate the feasibility of a laser lightning rod in collaboration with EADS, Airbus and CILAS. In this context the ILM group at LOA has achieved in October 2009 a test campaign on the site of CEAT in Toulouse (FRANCE). It was particularly noted that the guiding and triggering discharges of filaments was much more effective when applying a negative voltage polarity. It was also shown the ability of an arc filament to be trigged away from its natural attachment point.
