The state of matter in the Universe is mainly plasma: the interior of the starts, the interstellar space or other different regions in the Solar System. We can find plasma on Earth as well in many different forms: in the lasers and other non-coherent light sources.

 

The Department of Plasma Physics is specialized on the research of some of the many different, above mentioned types of plasmas. Basic experiments and technological developments are carried out in the fields of thermonuclear plasma physics and laser physics to understand the relevant physical processes.

 

The thermonuclear plasma physics research and development take place under the auspices of EURATOM in international co-operation, mostly on and related to European large facilities. Our researchers have achieved significant results even by international standards on the research of the turbulent status of the plasma and the behavior of macroscopic materials injected into plasma.

 

The interaction between large intensity laser pulses and matter results plasma. Our laser plasma research has two main orientations. The laser fusion research carried out with EURATOM and IAEA support jointly with the Department of Experimental Physics of University of Szeged contain studies on ultraviolet excimer lasers. We have started researches on ultra-short, several cycle laser pulses in foreign laboratories related to the ELI laser which is going to be installed in Hungary. At the same time we do our researches in co-operation with the Research Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics of the HAS to produce light pulses in the attosecond range.

 

Another research area related to plasma physics is the study of cold plasma which can be produced by ionization of atoms. These are then cooled with lasers and accumulated in magneto-optical traps. Our researchers have achieved outstanding results on the coherent manipulation of internal and translational states of neutral atoms collected in a trap and on development of new methods of long-term storage of optical information using metastable atomic states. At the time we are starting an intensive research on coherent control of atomic states with a strong field, the purpose of which is the investigation of multiphoton ionization processes in coherently prepared media including the manipulation of internal and translational quantum states of cold plasma produced in the magneto-optic trap.