For questions please contact: LASERNET EUROPE Funded under the IHP "Access to Research Infrastructures" Programme of the EU Participating Infrastructures CLF Rutherford-Appleton Laboratories, Chilton, England GSI Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung mbH Darmstadt, Germany LENS European Laboratory for Non- Linear Spectroscopy, Firenze, Italy LIF-LOA Laboratoire d'Optique Appliquée, École Polytechnique Palaiseau, France PALS PALS Prague, Czech Republic LLC Lund Laser Centre, Lund University Lund, Sweden MBI Max-Born-Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short- Pulse Spectroscopy, Berlin, Germany LULI Laboratoire Utilisation des Lasers Intenses, Palaiseau, France FORTH- IESL Ultraviolet Laser Facility Foundation for Research and Technology – las Iraklion, Crete, Greece LCVU Laser Centre Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands CLF operates three facilities to which European researchers can gain access: Vulcan, a Nd:glass laser delivering 2.5kJ to target in 8 beams. One beam is operated with CPA giving an irradiance in excess of W.cm -2. Astra, a Ti:Sa laser delivering W.cm -2 on target at 10Hz, for studies in atomic physics, proton beam generation and high harmonic source applications. The Lasers for Science facility operates state of the art lasers for photo-biology, Raman spectroscopy, radiation damage studies and lithography. The LULI facility includes a high power multi- beam, nanosecond pulse Neodymium glass laser, an ultra-intense (100 TW) subpicosecond Neodymium glass laser using Chirped Pulse Amplification (CPA), four experimental rooms, and state-of-the-art instrumentation for the diagnostics of experiments. Experiments cover plasma interactions, laboratory astrophysics, x-ray lasers, materials processing, and particle generation and acceleration with lasers. LOA is dedicated to ultra-fast optical science, with several femtosecond laser systems to perform studies in femtochemistry, non linear optics, femtosecond XUV, or X-ray generation. Its 100TW laser facility is particularly specialized in laser-matter interactions in ultra-strong laser field, at high repetition rate. LLC is the largest unit in the Nordic countries within the field of lasers, optics and spectroscopy. Research is performed in basic atomic, molecular and chemical physics and includes applications to the energy, environmental, medical and information technology fields. The LLC is characterized by its interdisciplinary nature, fostering a strong exchange of ideas, techniques and resources. LENS has been established as an European scientific research centre to provide advanced laser and spectroscopic facilities for researchers from European countries, and to promote and facilitate the exchange of ideas, techniques, and technical skills. LENS is associated with the University of Florence as an independent research centre which ensures its European character. The PHELIX laser installation is presently under construction at the research institute of the GSI. It will provide 1  m radiation with nanosecond pulses in the kilojoule and femtosecond pulses in the petawatt domain. Together with the GSI heavy-ion accelerator facility PHELIX will allow novel investigations in the fields of plasma physics, atomic physics as well as nuclear physics, accelerator studies and material research. LCVU is a multi-disciplinary facility in which physicists, chemists and biologists have combined their laser-oriented research activities. They share a common infrastructure of an exceptionally well-equipped laboratory with state-of-the-art laser systems, experimental apparatus, auxiliary equipment and computer facilities. Research activities span a broad range of interdisciplinary topics. ULF-FORTH is a multi-disciplinary scientific laboratory dedicated to research and development in fields benefiting from the use of lasers. It is located in the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH) campus near Heraklion in Crete, Greece. The main objectives of ULF-FORTH focus on support of high-quality basic research with lasers, training, transfer of know-how, industrial applications, and support of pilot projects. The PALS RI is a high power iodine photodissociation laser system operated by a joint research laboratory established recently by two institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences — by the Institute of Physics (IP) and the Institute of Plasma Physics (IPP). The laboratory is performing research of high- power lasers and laser-produced plasmas including the applications in science and technology (e.g. x-ray sources including x-ray lasers, sources of highly stripped ions of heavy elements, etc.). MBI pursues basic research in nonlinear optics and ultra fast dynamics in the interaction of light with matter. It provides a variety of ultra-short (femtosecond) laser sources, ranging from the mid-IR, visible to the x-ray wavelength, and several tens of TW peak power. Main research topics are new sources for ultra short and ultra intense light pulses, and interdisciplinary applications in basic research and emerging key technologies. MBI provides cooperative access to research facilities (MBI Application Laboratories). (c) DLR, 2002