The ELI Beamlines Facility is a leading laser research centre and part of Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC pan-European Research Infrastructure hosting the world’s most intense lasers. ELI provides unique tools of support for scientific excellence in Europe. ELI Beamlines developed and operates four leading edge high-power femtosecond laser systems reaching unprecedent intensities. ELI Beamlines offers to its users unique femtosecond sources of X-rays and accelerated particles. These beamlines enable pioneering research not only in physics and material science, but also in life science, laboratory astrophysics, chemistry with strong application potential.
Currently, several of the main laser beamlines are operational and are being expanded and upgraded to reach their full performance and maximum availability. Other laser beamlines are in commissioning and new cutting-edge laser sources are in the design and development phase. The ELI Beamlines Facility builds on 350 researchers, engineers and other professionals from more than 28 countries.
WHAT IS ELI ERIC?
ELI ERIC (the full name of the institution: The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC)
The ERIC is a specific legal form designed to facilitate the establishment and operation of Research Infrastructures of European interest. ERICs are participated by States and international organisations as members. As a main statutory mission, ELI ERIC is responsible for making the ELI Facilities available to the scientific community as a single international organisation, with unified governance and management.
The Czech Republic hosts the ELI ERIC statutory seat in Dolní Břežany, in the South of Prague, at the ELI Beamlines facility. A second facility, ELI-ALPS, is hosted by Hungary in Szeged. The Czech Republic and Hungary are joined by Italy and Lithuania as founding members, while Germany and Bulgaria are founding observers. A third ELI facility is under construction in Romania in the field of nuclear photonics and is expected to complement the current ELI ERIC facilities in the future. More information at ELI ERIC websites.
WHAT IS ELI BEAMLINES FACILITY?
ELI Beamlines is a European research facility focused on fundamental research. ELI Beamlines operates 4 ultra-intensive laser systems. Each of the laser systems has different characteristics and parameters.
ELI Beamlines consists of 5 experimental halls and an advanced biology laboratory with end stations for a wide range of research. Fields of interest to external and internal researchers at ELI Beamlines include biology, medicine, physics, chemistry, materials engineering, space research and nanotechnology. Thanks to the high-power and ultra-fast laser pulses that laser systems are able to provide more deeply the internal structure of molecules and the processes that take place in them, the behavior of viruses and other microorganisms, the principles of proton therapy, new materials and their properties, the environment in space or the possibilities of accelerating nuclear waste.
ELI Beamlines is a part of the ELI (Extreme Light Infrastructure) initiative, a new pan-European research infrastructure, and part of the European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) plan.
The ELI project research infrastructure includes several workplaces and additional facilities located in the Czech Republic, Hungary (ELI ALS) and Romania (ELI NP).
ELI BEAMLINES FACILITY IS A USER CENTRE
The user center operates the unique ultra intensive lasers and the experimental facilities mainly for research teams from other research institutions, universities and companies. On the basis of an approved request, the research teams will request so-called user time at the required research facility. At the agreed time, the research teams come and carry out their unique experiments at the ELI Beamlines center.
There are research teams in ELI Beamlines facility as well. Over 150 internal researchers work in ELI Beamlines.
You can find out more information about user research in our video for users.
ELI GENDER EQUALITY
Gender equality is a crucial position held by the management of ELI centre and is shared by all ELI employees.
Eli-eric-gender-equality-plan
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
Ultrahigh Intensity Interaction
MULTIDISCIPLINARY INFRASTRUCTURE
The main objective of the ELI Beamlines Center is to become a truly multidisciplinary, user-oriented infrastructure for carrying out revolutionary scientific experiments and applications in various fields, including physics and astrophysics, chemistry, biology, material science, medicine, etc., by combining advanced synchronized short laser pulses with ultra-high intensity and auxiliary particle sources or X-ray.
TOP SECONDARY RESOURCES
The ELI Beamlines Center provides research capabilities with a wide range of ultra high-intensity lasers excited by high-end lasers. These secondary sources, especially those based on completely new concepts, produce pulses of radiation of the highest intensity and quality of the beam, including electromagnetic radiation in a wide range and charged particles such as electrons, protons and ions. Therefore, a wide range of new applications can be expected.
BENEFITS FOR SOCIETY
As a European research infrastructure, ELI Beamlines is strengthening Europe’s position in world laser research and creating new opportunities for European industry.
Applied research at the ELI Beamlines facility covers areas ranging from improving cancer treatment, medical imaging, fast electronics and aging of nuclear reactor materials to the development of new nuclear waste treatment methods.
