View source for Organization:Extreme Light Infrastructure

[[File:ELI Beamlines Facility Photo 2.jpg|thumb|193x193px|The ELI Beamlines Facility located in Dolní Břežany, Czech Republic]]
The '''Extreme Light Infrastructure''' ('''ELI ERIC''') is a research infrastructure with the world's largest collection of high power-lasers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC Annual Report 2022-2023 |url=https://eli-laser.eu/media/2790/eli_eric_annual_report_2022_2023.pdf |url-status= |publisher=ELI ERIC |page=10 |format=PDF}}</ref> ELI consists several high-power, high-repetition-rate laser systems which enable the research of physical, chemical, materials, and medical sciences.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC Annual Report 2022-2023 |url=https://eli-laser.eu/media/2790/eli_eric_annual_report_2022_2023.pdf |url-status= |publisher=ELI ERIC |page=10}}</ref>

The organization is a single organization with three complementary facilities.,<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC Annual Report 2022-2023 |url=https://eli-laser.eu/media/2790/eli_eric_annual_report_2022_2023.pdf |url-status= |publisher=ELI ERIC |pages=10–11}}</ref> as well as collaborations with universities and research labs across the world. One of the facilities is ELI Beamlines, located outside of [[Place:Prague|Prague]] in Dolní Břežany, [[Place:Czech Republic|Czech Republic]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC Annual Report 2022-2023 |url=https://eli-laser.eu/media/2790/eli_eric_annual_report_2022_2023.pdf |url-status= |publisher=ELI ERIC |page=10}}</ref> another facility, ELI Alps, is located in Szeged, Hungary<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC Annual Report 2022-2023 |url=https://eli-laser.eu/media/2790/eli_eric_annual_report_2022_2023.pdf |url-status= |publisher=ELI ERIC |page=11}}</ref> and the third facility is located in Măgurele, Romania (ELI Nuclear Physics, abbreviated as ELI NP).<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC Annual Report 2022-2023 |url=https://eli-laser.eu/media/2790/eli_eric_annual_report_2022_2023.pdf |url-status= |publisher=ELI ERIC |page=52}}</ref>

==History==
The Extreme Light Infrastructure project started as a bottom-up initiative by the European scientific laser community and the network of large national laser facilities, LASERLAB-EUROPE. In 2005, Gérard Mourou, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018, first proposed the idea of building lasers with 10 to even 100 petawatt output power. In 2006, ELI joined the [https://www.esfri.eu/about ESFRI] roadmap.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ELI ERIC Extreme Light Infrastructure {{!}} ESFRI Roadmap 2021 |url=https://roadmap2021.esfri.eu/projects-and-landmarks/browse-the-catalogue/eli-eric/ |website=ESFRI}}</ref> From 2007 to 2010 ELI entered into a European-Commission-funded preparatory phase, comprising 40 laboratories from 13 countries. [[Biography:Gérard Mourou|Gérard Mourou]], the initiator of the ELI project, was the coordinator of the preparatory phase. During this 3-year Preparatory Phase, the 'ELI White Book' was compiled in a coordinated effort by more than 100 scientific authors from 13 countries under the leadership of Gérard Mourou.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ELI Background and History |url=https://eli-laser.eu/organisation/eli-background-and-history/ |website=ELI ERIC}}</ref> In addition, the ELI Consortium was set up.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ELI Background and History |url=https://eli-laser.eu/organisation/eli-background-and-history/ |website=ELI ERIC}}</ref>

At the meeting of the Steering Committee in October 2009 in Prague, the ELI Preparatory Phase Consortium officially gave the mandate to the [[Place:Czech Republic|Czech Republic]], Hungary and Romania to proceed towards the construction of ELI.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Final Report Summary - ELI-PP (Extreme Light Infrastructure Preparatory Phase) |url=https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/212105/reporting |website=European Commission}}</ref> On December 10, 2010, at the end of the preparatory phase, the project was fully handed over to the ELI Delivery Consortium, consisting of representatives from the three host countries. ERDF funding of the ELI-Beamlines facility in the Czech Republic was granted by the European Commission on April 20, 2011, followed by ELI-Nuclear Physics in Romania on September 18, 2012. Funding for the ELI-ALPS facility in Hungary was granted in early 2014.

The ELI Delivery Consortium International Association (ELI-DC) was founded on April 11, 2013, as an international non-profit association under Belgian law (AISBL). The Association's purpose was to promote the development of the project, and to support the coordinated implementation of the ELI research facilities. ELI-DC was also responsible for the establishment of the ELI European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC).

On the 30th of April 2021, the European Commission granted ELI the legal status of an ERIC.<ref>{{Cite web |first= |date=22 June 2021 |title=ELI granted ERIC status |url=https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/news/all-research-and-innovation-news/eli-granted-eric-status-2021-06-22_en |publisher=European Commission}}</ref>

==ELI research facilities==

===<u>ELI Beamlines</u>===
[[File:ELI Beamlines Facility.jpg|thumb|221x221px|The ELI Beamlines facility, located in the Czech Republic]]
ELI Beamlines is located in Dolní Břežany near [[Place:Prague|Prague]], [[Place:Czech Republic|Czech Republic]].  ELI Beamlines operates high peak-power femtosecond laser systems with high-energy and high-repetition-rate capability, as well as secondary sources (X-rays and accelerated particles).<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC Annual Report 2022-2023 |url=https://eli-laser.eu/media/2790/eli_eric_annual_report_2022_2023.pdf |publisher=ELI ERIC |page=36}}</ref> The facility opened in 2015. User experiments started in 2018. There are four primary sources at ELI Beamlines, seven secondary sources and five scientific endstations and experimental platforms.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC Annual Report 2022-2023 |url=https://eli-laser.eu/media/2790/eli_eric_annual_report_2022_2023.pdf |pages=40–43}}</ref>

'''<big>ELI Beamlines Primary Sources</big>'''

'''L1 ALLEGRA''' – TW laser, 100 millijoule, 1&nbsp;kHz – '''''status: in operation''''' - The L1 ALLEGRA laser was developed in house by the ELI Beamlines laser team.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC Annual Report 2022-2023 |url=https://eli-laser.eu/media/2790/eli_eric_annual_report_2022_2023.pdf |url-status= |website=ELI ERIC |page=39}}</ref> The concept of the laser is based entirely on amplification of frequency chirped picosecond pulses in an optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA) chain consisting of a total of seven amplifiers. The OPCPA amplifier stages are pumped by precisely synchronized picosecond pulses generated by state-of-the-art thin-disk-based Yb:YAG laser systems.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC Annual Report 2022-2023 |url=https://eli-laser.eu/media/2790/eli_eric_annual_report_2022_2023.pdf |url-status= |publisher=ELI ERIC |page=39}}</ref>

'''L2 AMOS''' – 100TW laser, 2 joule, 50&nbsp;Hz - '''''status: in development''''' - The L2 AMOS laser is designed to provide 100 TW-level pulses at a high repetition rate (50&nbsp;Hz) at 820&nbsp;nm, falling between L1-ALLEGRA and L3-HAPLS in terms of peak power.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC Annual Report 2022-2023 |url=https://eli-laser.eu/media/2790/eli_eric_annual_report_2022_2023.pdf |url-status= |publisher=ELI ERIC |page=39}}</ref> L2-DUHA is the newest of the ELI Beamlines laser systems and is currently in development with expected completion in the first half of 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC Annual Report 2022-2023 |url=https://eli-laser.eu/media/2790/eli_eric_annual_report_2022_2023.pdf |publisher=ELI ERIC |page=39}}</ref>

'''L3 HAPLS''' – 1PW laser, 30 joule, 10&nbsp;Hz – '''''status: in operation''''' - This laser system was developed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, with ELI Beamlines cooperating on the development of the PW pulse compressor, the short-pulse diagnostics, and the short-pulse part controls and timing.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC Annual Report 2022-2023 |url=https://eli-laser.eu/media/2790/eli_eric_annual_report_2022_2023.pdf |page=39}}</ref> These are the highest peak-power pulsed laser diode arrays in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-03-12 |title=Lawrence Livermore deploys world's highest peak-power laser diode arrays |url=https://www.llnl.gov/news/lawrence-livermore-deploys-world%E2%80%99s-highest-peak-power-laser-diode-arrays |publisher=Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory}}</ref>

'''L4 ATON''' – 10PW laser, 2 kilojoule – '''''status: in operation''''' -  This laser system is designed to generate an extremely high peak power of 10 PW (Petawatt) in pulses with duration of 150 fs, pulse energy 1.5 kJ and repetition rate 1 shot per minute.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC Annual Report 2022-2023 |url=https://eli-laser.eu/media/2790/eli_eric_annual_report_2022_2023.pdf |publisher=ELI ERIC |page=39}}</ref> The laser was built by the consortium of National Energetics (USA) and EKSPLA (Lithuania), with major contribution of ELI Beamlines, which developed the 10 PW compressor and participated in development of numerous subsystems including the OPCPA preamplifiers, diagnostics or integrated electronic control system.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC Annual Report 2022-2023 |url=https://eli-laser.eu/media/2790/eli_eric_annual_report_2022_2023.pdf |publisher=ELI ERIC |page=39}}</ref>

===<u>ELI-ALPS</u>===
ELI-ALPS is located in Szeged, in southern Hungary. The ELI-ALPS research facility in Szeged, Hungary, houses lasers which are used for the generation of ultra-intense, ultrashort pulses of laser light and various electromagnetic particles.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC Annual Report 2022-2023 |url=https://eli-laser.eu/media/2790/eli_eric_annual_report_2022_2023.pdf |publisher=ELI ERIC |page=24}}</ref> These ultrafast, high-repetition-rate bursts span a broad electromagnetic spectrum, ranging from [[Physics:Terahertz radiation|terahertz]] frequencies (<math>10^{12}</math> Hz) to [[Physics:X-ray|X-ray]] wavelengths (<math>10^{18}</math> to <math>10^{19}</math>Hz).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC Annual Report 2022-2023 |url=https://eli-laser.eu/media/2790/eli_eric_annual_report_2022_2023.pdf |publisher=ELI ERIC |page=24}}</ref> The facility contains a variety of powerful laser systems, allowing for in-depth studies of the dynamics involved in interactions between light and matter. These studies encompass both non-relativistic and relativistic speeds, allowing for the study of phenomena occurring on timescales as brief as a few [[Femtosecond|femtosecond]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC Annual Report 2022-2023 |url=https://eli-laser.eu/media/2790/eli_eric_annual_report_2022_2023.pdf |page=24}}</ref> The facility opened in 2017. User experiments started in 2018.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ELI-ALPS laser systems
|-
! Laser Source !! Central Wavelength !! Pulse Energy !! Pulse Duration !! Repetition Rate !! Peak Power !! Average Power
|-
| HR 1 || 1030&nbsp;nm || 1&nbsp;mJ || 7&nbsp;fs || 100&nbsp;kHz || 200&nbsp;GW || 100&nbsp;W
|-
| HR 2 || 1030&nbsp;nm || 5&nbsp;mJ || 6.7&nbsp;fs || 100&nbsp;kHz || 1&nbsp;TW || 500&nbsp;W
|-
| SYLOS 2 || 900&nbsp;nm || 35&nbsp;mJ || 7&nbsp;fs || 1&nbsp;kHz || 5&nbsp;TW || 35&nbsp;W
|-
| SYLOS ALIGNMENT || 850&nbsp;nm || 40&nbsp;mJ || 12&nbsp;fs || 10&nbsp;Hz || 3&nbsp;TW || 0.4&nbsp;W
|-
| HF PW || 800&nbsp;nm || 34&nbsp;J || 17&nbsp;fs || 10&nbsp;Hz || 2&nbsp;PW || 340&nbsp;W
|-
| MIR || 2.8–4&nbsp;μm || 150&nbsp;μJ || 40&nbsp;fs || 100&nbsp;kHz || 3&nbsp;GW || 15&nbsp;W
|-
| THz pump || 1&nbsp;μm || 500&nbsp;mJ || 500&nbsp;fs || 50&nbsp;Hz || 1&nbsp;TW || 25&nbsp;W
|}

===<u>ELI NP</u>===
ELI NP (Nuclear Physics) is located in Măgurele, Romania. It will host two machines, a very high intensity laser, where beams from two 10 PW lasers are coherently added to get intensities of the order of <math>10^{23}</math> – <math>10^{24}</math> W/<math>cm^{2}</math> , and a very intense, brilliant gamma beam obtained by incoherent [[Physics:Compton scattering|Compton back scattering]] of a laser light off a brilliant [[Physics:Electron beam|electron beam]] from a conventional [[Physics:Linear particle accelerator|linear accelerator]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC Annual Report 2022-2023 |url=https://eli-laser.eu/media/2790/eli_eric_annual_report_2022_2023.pdf |publisher=ELI ERIC |page=52}}</ref> Applications include frontier fundamental physics, new [[Physics:Nuclear physics|nuclear physics]], [[Physics:Astrophysics|astrophysics]], nuclear materials and radioactive waste management. ELI NP is the largest investment ever made in scientific research in Romania , co-financed by the European Commission and the Romanian Government from Structural Funds via the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).<ref>{{Cite web |title=ELI-NP in a nutshell |url=https://www.eli-np.ro/eli-np-in-a-nutshell.php |access-date=18 September 2023 |publisher=ELI-NP}}</ref>

In a decision made during ELI ERIC's 8th General Assembly (GA) Meeting on 13 June 2023, Romania was accepted as a Founding Observer to ELI ERIC.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC Annual Report 2022-2023 |url=https://eli-laser.eu/media/2790/eli_eric_annual_report_2022_2023.pdf |publisher=ELI ERIC |page=52}}</ref> The facility will be integrated into the ELI ERIC organization over the next three years.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC Annual Report 2022-2023 |url=https://eli-laser.eu/media/2790/eli_eric_annual_report_2022_2023.pdf |publisher=ELI ERIC |page=52}}</ref>

== ELI-NP Controversy ==
Romania's journey to join the ELI ERIC consortium has been controversial due to a protracted legal disagreement over the construction of a gamma beam at the ELI-NP facility.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brent |first=Thomas |date=15 June 2023 |title=Romania to gain observer status in European laser facility consortium |url=https://sciencebusiness.net/news/Research-and-innovation-gap/romania-gain-observer-status-european-laser-facility-consortium?check_logged_in=1 |website=Science Business}}</ref> Romania's national institute of physics, IFIN-HH, and the EuroGammaS consortium became embroiled in this dispute,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brent |first=Thomas |date=15 June 2023 |title=Romania to gain observer status in European laser facility consortium |url=https://sciencebusiness.net/news/Research-and-innovation-gap/romania-gain-observer-status-european-laser-facility-consortium?check_logged_in=1 |website=Science Business}}</ref> which spiraled into a larger legal dispute involving contractual disagreements. The contention reached a climax when the Franco-Italian consortium EuroGammaS halted work on the gamma beam,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brent |first=Thomas |date=15 June 2023 |title=Romania to gain observer status in European laser facility consortium |url=https://sciencebusiness.net/news/Research-and-innovation-gap/romania-gain-observer-status-european-laser-facility-consortium?check_logged_in=1 |website=Science Business}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Zubascu |first=Florin |date=15 February 2022 |title=From the archives: Laser wars drag on at eastern Europe's largest research infrastructure |url=https://sciencebusiness.net/news/archives-laser-wars-drag-eastern-europes-largest-research-infrastructure |website=Science Business}}</ref> alleging non-compliance of the building with equipment specifications. In response, IFIN-HH sought delay penalties and even hinted at canceling the €67 million contract. As counteraction, EuroGammaS initiated a legal battle in Bucharest, demanding contract extensions and fine reimbursements.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brent |first=Thomas |date=15 June 2023 |title=Romania to gain observer status in European laser facility consortium |url=https://sciencebusiness.net/news/Research-and-innovation-gap/romania-gain-observer-status-european-laser-facility-consortium?check_logged_in=1 |website=Science Business}}</ref>

Such disagreements led to Romania's omission from the ELI-ERIC consortium when it was officially launched in 2021. In May 2021, a significant turn of events occurred when the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, and Lithuania, with the UK as a founding observer, applied to the European Commission to form the ELI-ERIC, excluding Romania.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zubascu |first=Florin |date=15 February 2022 |title=From the archives: Laser wars drag on at eastern Europe's largest research infrastructure |url=https://sciencebusiness.net/news/archives-laser-wars-drag-eastern-europes-largest-research-infrastructure |website=Science Business}}</ref> This exclusion was met with resistance from the management of ELI-NP, which criticized the decision as an attempt to "isolate" the Bucharest facility and called for the application's rejection.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ELI-NP position regarding the application for ELI-ERIC |url=https://www.eli-np.ro/documents/ELI_ERIC_may_2020.pdf |website=ELI NP |page=2}}</ref> The ongoing litigation and political nuances created a divide. Romania felt blindsided by the decision to proceed without them, whereas the consortium claimed Romanian stakeholders were informed. Additionally, there were differing visions about the operational autonomy of each laser site within the ERIC. While the Czech Republic and Hungary advocated for an integrated international facility, Romania sought greater autonomy, aiming to leverage its funding surplus to aid local research projects.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zubascu |first=Florin |date=15 February 2022 |title=From the archives: Laser wars drag on at eastern Europe's largest research infrastructure |url=https://sciencebusiness.net/news/archives-laser-wars-drag-eastern-europes-largest-research-infrastructure |website=Science Business}}</ref>

Romania has since secured a "founding observer" status in the consortium, which may eventually lead to full membership in the organization.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brent |first=Thomas |date=15 June 2023 |title=Romania to gain observer status in European laser facility consortium |url=https://sciencebusiness.net/news/Research-and-innovation-gap/romania-gain-observer-status-european-laser-facility-consortium?check_logged_in=1 |website=Science Business}}</ref> Following the EuroGammaS contract's termination, the responsibility was passed to a US company, Lyncean Technologies, with a €42 million deal. The controversy continued as Lyncean declared bankruptcy, leaving the gamma beam project in limbo.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cartlidge |first=Edwin |date=2 March 2022 |title=European laser project rocked by potential loss of gamma ray beam |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/european-laser-project-rocked-potential-loss-gamma-ray-beam |website=Science}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Brent |first=Thomas |date=15 June 2023 |title=Romania to gain observer status in European laser facility consortium |url=https://sciencebusiness.net/news/Research-and-innovation-gap/romania-gain-observer-status-european-laser-facility-consortium?check_logged_in=1 |website=Science Business}}</ref> Financial pressures also loom large, with the €300 million project heavily reliant on EU structural funds, necessitating its completion by 2023 to preserve funding.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brent |first=Thomas |date=15 June 2023 |title=Romania to gain observer status in European laser facility consortium |url=https://sciencebusiness.net/news/Research-and-innovation-gap/romania-gain-observer-status-european-laser-facility-consortium?check_logged_in=1 |website=Science Business}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Organization:Station of Extreme Light|Station of Extreme Light]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.eli-beams.eu/ ELI Beamlines website]
*https://www.eli-alps.hu/


[[Category:Particle physics facilities]]

{{Sourceattribution|Extreme Light Infrastructure}}