• LASERLAB-EUROPE (European Union)
• UPLP (ICORP - Japanese Science and Technology Agency)
• FULMINA (Federal Ministry of Education and Research, BMBF)
• KORONA (Fraunhofer Society and Max-Planck Society)
• TRANSREGIO-TR18 (German Research Foundation, DFG)
• Ultrafast Nanooptics SPP1391 (German Research Foundation, DFG)
• Photonic Nanomaterials (PhoNa)(Federal Ministry of Education and Research, BMBF)
• KSU-MPQ Research Projects (King Saud University, Riyadh)
• K-State MPQ Research Project (NSF-DFG Joint Program in Chemistry)
• Rudolf-Kaiser Project Award: Electron Diffraction

LASERLAB-Europe:
LASERLAB-EUROPE is a Consortium of 17 laser infrastructures, including several world-leading laser infrastructures, from nine European countries forming an Integrated Infrastructure Initiative, together with one infrastructure specialising in internet and database technologies. It is funded by the European Union. Its main objective is to strengthen Europe in laser research by improving the competitiveness of the participating infrastructures through joint research activities (JRA) aiming at the ultimate control of intense, short-pulse laser light and overcoming technological barriers towards high power and high intensity and providing – in a coordinated fashion – access to these facilities (some 1000 days / annum) for European researchers. LAP’s cutting-edge ultra-short-pulse laser systems play a central role in maintaining Europe’s leadership in attosecond and high-field science and are available for this programme. If you would like to apply for beamtime, please feel free to get in touch with us.
contact: R. Kienberger

Ultrashort Pulse Laser Project (UPLP):
Collaboration between LAP and the group of Prof. Takayoshi Kobayashi from the University of Electro-Communications (UEC) at Tokyo aiming at the generation of ultimate light control and detection technology. The UEC group’s world-leading expertise in the generation of ultrashort infrared laser pulses and their application to study molecular dynamics along with LAP’s cutting edge attosecond technologies offer unique synergies in advancing ultrafast spectroscopies and using them for gaining unprecedented insight into ultra-fast processes of the microcosm, in particular those of biological relevance.
contact: R. Kienberger

FULMINA:
In the framework of this collaborative effort we pursue the development of intense, kHz-rate, few-cycle light sources based on optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA) in the mid-IR spectral range (carrier wavelength ~2.1 µm). Systems producing highly stable pulses with a duration less than 25 fs and at repetition rates of 1 kHz and 5-10 kHz with pulse energies of 10 mJ and 1 mJ, respectively, are being developed. To be able to construct reliable all-solid-state devices, we develop diode-laser-pumped Yb:YAG regenerative amplifier and multi-pass booster for providing highly stable sub-2-ps pulses with an energy of 50 mJ for driving the OPCPA chain. This research is motivated by the role of compact intense, few-cycle light sources as an enabling technology for several future technologies, including compact, powerful coherent XUV/X-ray sources for industrial and bio-medical technologies likewise.
contact: Th. Metzger

KORONA:
KORONA is a cooperative project between MPQ’s LAP (J. Rauschenberg, U. Kleineberg, F. Krausz) and Division of Laser Spectroscopy (Th. Udem, T. Hänsch) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT) at Aachen (D. Hoffmann, R. Poprawe) aiming at the development of compact laser-driven high-average-power MHz-rate coherent XUV-sources. Beyond exciting applications in basic science pursued at MPQ (such as XUV precision spectroscopy or attosecond coincidence spectroscopy) these sources may bring about a revolution to many scientific areas and would open up new markets in medicine, nanotechnology, and analysis. The combination of the world-class MPQ and ILT expertise in coherent XUV generation and diode-pumped solid-state laser technology, respectively, constitutes excellent grounds for substantial (possibly revolutionary) advancement of the state of the art of coherent radiation sources and for rendering this technology mature enough for envisioning industrial and medical applications.
contact: E. Fill

SFB/Transregio 18:
SFB/Transregio 18: Relativistic Laser-Plasma Dynamics is a DFG-funded transregional collaborative research centre including groups from the LMU and MPQ at Munich/Garching, the Heinrich-Heine-University at Düsseldorf, the Friedrich-Schiller-University at Jena, and the Max-Born-Institute at Berlin. High-intensity lasers now create energy densities higher than inside the sun and field strengths of magnitudes known only in astrophysics so far. The ultra-short duration and ultra-high peak intensity of multi-terawatt to petawatt laser pulses are opening unique opportunities for the study of fundamental physics and the development of novel technologies. The interaction of relativistic laser pulses with plasmas create unique conditions for studying relativistic physics in small-scale experiments, exploring novel nonlinear optical effects and exploiting them for new applications. Examples include the acceleration of electrons to GeV energies within plasma channels as short as a few millimeters, for seeding x-ray free electron lasers and the acceleration of ions up to tens to hundreds of MeV, opening new prospects for medical diagnosis and theraphies. X-ray pulses intense enough for demonstrating strong-field QED effects may also become available. TR18 is devoted to investigate the fundamentals of these and other phenomena in exotic matter under relativistic conditions and exploit relativistic laser plasmas for developing novel sources of energetic particles and radiation.
contact: D. Habs, L.Veisz, U. Kleineberg

KSU-MPQ Research Projects:
KSU-MPQ Research Projects constitute collaborative efforts between groups from King Saud University of Riyadh, whose activities are coordinated by Prof. Abdallah Azzeer, and those of MPQ’s LAP (J. Rauschenberger, R. Kienberger, L. Veisz, F. Krausz) and Division of Laser Spectroscopy (Th. Udem, T. Hänsch) in a broad range of areas of modern laser science and photonics, including the generation of intense near-single-cycle infrared and ultraviolet laser pulses, and the development of compact sources of coherent XUV laser light, for a number of promising applications in science, technology and medicine. These include, but not limited to the development of compact particle accelerators and X-ray sources, the advancement of precision frequency-domain spectroscopy and attosecond spectroscopy, and the development of novel technologies for biological imaging and medical diagnosis, to mention only a few examples. Beyond advancing science, purpose of the collaboration is proliferation of these promising laser-based technologies by training KSU students and supporting KSU groups to build up research activities in Riyadh in these areas. Here you can read more about the collaboration.
contact: E. Fill

DFG-Project: SPP1391 Ultrafast Nanooptics, “High harmonic generation in ordered nanostructures by controlled ultrafast nanolocalized plasmonic fields”, (cooperation: MPQ and FU Berlin)
Processes leading to high-harmonic generation occurring at ordered nanostructures of different size, shape, and composition are systematically explored. The nanoscopic structures are prepared by colloidal chemistry along with self-organization. These nanoplasmonic structures are optimized to gain the sufficient field strength for the formation of high-harmonics with short pulse lasers. High-harmonic radiation is formed by field enhancement, permitting a control of the XUV-radiation parameters by waveform control of the nanoplasmonic fields. We aim at understanding, optimizing, and using the processes leading to nanolocalized plasmonic fields at ordered nanostructures for high-harmonic generation, ultimately reaching the attosecond regime in cooperation with a number of LAP researchers and coworkers and Mark Stockman (GSU Atlanta).
contact: M. Kling

Photonic Nanomaterials (PhoNa)
Within PhoNa, we will develop brilliant MHz XUV light sources. One important route for the generation of XUV light at MHz frequencies is based on enhancement cavities for the creation of ultra-high intra-cavity powers suited for gas-phase HHG. A system that is currently in operation is based on a laser amplifier from the University of Jena. Within PhoNa, these sources will be developed towards higher intra-cavity power and efficient out-coupling of the generated XUV radiation via nanostructured optical elements. Such sources will have multiple applications ranging from frequency comb spectroscopy in the XUV to EUV lithography. Another contribution to PhoNa is the application of nanostructured elements for high-harmonic generation via nanoplasmonic field enhancement. Nanostructures for both projects on the development of MHz XUV light sources will be designed together with the PhoNa partners, fabricated in Jena and implemented and tested in Garching. PhoNa is financed by the BMBF.
contact: E. Fill,M. Kling

K-State MPQ Research Project “Control of ultrafast EUV-induced chemical reactions” is a collaborative research project between research groups from MPQ (M. Kling, M. Lezius), Kansas State University (I. Ben-Itzhak, I. Litvinyuk, L. Cocke), Max-Planck-Institute of Nuclear Physics (R. Moshammer, J. Ullrich) and CFEL Hamburg (A. Rudenko) funded by the NSF and the DFG in the framework of their Joint Program in Chemistry. The project aims at studying simultaneous electronic and nuclear (structural) dynamics in simple molecular systems. The method of choice is pump-probe spectroscopy with attosecond XUV and few-cycle NIR laser pulses. Cutting-edge laser technology will be combined with state-of-the-art detection technologies such as momentum imaging of charged fragments, including both ions and electronics, with a reaction microscope. The possibility of steering the fragmentation pathway with strong, waveform-controlled infrared laser fields will also be scrutinized.
contact: M. Kling

ERC Advanced Investigator Grant:
State-of-the-art microscopy and diffraction imaging provides insight into the atomic and sub-atomic structure of matter. They permit determination of the positions of atoms in a crystal lattice or in a molecule as well as the distribution of electrons inside atoms. State-of-the-art time-resolved spectroscopy with femtosecond and attosecond resolution provides access to dynamic changes in the atomic and electronic structure of matter. Our proposal aims at combining these two frontier techniques of XXI century science to make a long-standing dream of scientists come true: direct observation of atoms and electrons in their natural state: in motion. Shifts in the atoms’ positions by tens to hundreds of picometers can make chemical bonds break apart or newly form, changing the structure and/or chemical composition of matter. Electronic motion on similar scales may result in emission of light, or initiation of processes that lead to a change in physical or chemical properties, or biological function. These motions happen within femtoseconds and attoseconds, respectively. To make them observable, we need a 4-dimensional (4D) imaging technique capable of recording freeze-frame snapshots of microscopic systems with picometer spatial resolution and femtosecond to attosecond exposure time. The motion can then be visualized by slow-motion replay of the freeze-frame shots. The goal of this project is to develop a 4D imaging technique that will ultimately offer picometer resolution in space and attosecond resolution in time.
contact: P. Baum

Rudolf Kaiser Project Award:
Rudolf Kaiser Project Award: Visualization of Ultrafast Nuclear and Electronic Motion by Electron Diffraction. How do the atoms and electrons move in space and time during the course of phase transitions, chemical reactions, or inner-atomic scattering processes? These questions of key importance to a number of fields in physics, chemistry and material science are being addressed with ultrafast action of atoms and electrons within matter is ultrafast electron diffraction, which provides – by virtue of the electrons’ short de Broglie wavelength – direct insight into atomic-scale motions with picometer resolution and femtosecond timing. Funds from the Rudolf-Kaiser Project Award will help us advance the state of the art of ultrafast electron diffraction (resolution: hundreds of fs) to temporal resolutions of few femtoseconds. This progress will allow recording movies of the structural changes in simple and complex systems, providing unprecedented insight into the working of molecules and condensed matter.
contact: P. Baum