The network of European laser researchers is expanding - Press release Kick-off meeting March 27, Barcelona
Second phase of LASERLAB-EUROPE starts
LASERLAB-EUROPE, the consortium of the major European laser research institutions, is entering its second phase and will celebrate this event together with representatives of the European Commission and of the Spanish and Catalan Government at a launch ceremony on 27 March in Barcelona. “Spain is an important new partner in the consortium making large investments in laser research”, says Prof. Wolfgang Sandner of Max Born Institute in Berlin who coordinates the LASERLAB-EUROPE consortium.
Laser – the term means both the physical principle of amplification of light by stimulated emission of radiation and a multitude of devices with most diverse applications. Lasers are important tools in modern technologies, medical science and research. The latest generation of devices developed within the LASERLAB-EUROPE consortium will be used by the scientists to observe electrons orbiting around the atomic nucleus, to monitor time-resolved biological reactions, to accelerate electrons, protons and ions to highest energies within millimetres or to develop compact novel sources for x-ray generation. With their most powerful lasers the European scientists want to generate particles out of nothing, from a vacuum, or fuse atomic nuclei for civil energy production.
Large laser research facilities generally are highly specialised and very expensive. Thus, it was an important goal of the major European laser research institutions when they founded LASERLAB-EUROPE in 2003 to offer access to these infrastructures to the large community of European laser scientists and to coordinate the highly complex research activities.
The consortium, having been composed of 17 partners from nine European countries so far, now has expanded considerably. New partners are Spain, Portugal, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary and Latvia as well as associate partners in Bulgaria, Austria and Denmark. Together with subcontractors for joint research projects, 46 European laser facilities from 19 European countries will cooperate in the planned activities in the 7th Framework Programme. “Thanks to LASERLAB-EUROPE the community of European laser researchers has established close bonds. Today, Europe is the most important region for laser research worldwide”, says Sandner.
