Controlled intense few-cycle lasers as primary sources for the synthesis of ultra-broadband arbitrary light waveforms and the generation of attosecond pulses, brilliant X-rays and high-energy particle (electron and ion) beams provide the technological basis for MAP’s research foci. Here we aim to develop the tools indispensable for the realisation of these cutting-edge technologies. They include highly-specialised laser optics, X-ray optics and detectors, nano-scaled targets for electron and ion beam acceleration as well as simulation tools for the optimisation of laser-driven particle acceleration or coherent X-ray optics. In developing these key tools, none of which is commercially available, we shall capitalise on the substantial expertise accumulated during the 1^st fp.

Our research and development activities in A.2 are expected to benefit our primary (A.1) and secondary (A.3) sources in several ways. Sophisticated multilayer optical coating design and manufacturing techniques will reduce losses, enhance the damage threshold, extend the bandwidth and spectral coverage of these indispensable elements of laser systems, allowing to improve their performance in terms of a number of key parameters including peak power, bandwidth, pulse duration, waveform-shaping, repetition rate. X-ray detector development for advanced high-resolution biomedical imaging, thin-film targets for laser-accelerated electron and ion beams and their theoretical optimisation by customised simulation tools will enable MAP researchers to exploit the full potential offered by high-energy sources for applications.

Our long-term goals and visionOwing to the availability of a world-class ultrashort-pulse, high-power laser infrastructure and state-of-the-art coating and microstructuring facilities at one and the same research site we have the opportunity to advance the former and extend their application fields by utilising the latter in a uniquely efficient way, in close collaboration and concerted R & D efforts between scientists from both areas. By utilising this potential, we aim at (i) advancing multilayer mirror technology to its ultimate limits in terms of basic properties such as damage threshold, reflectivity, loss and bandwidth; (ii) gradually extending the mature technical capabilities for (diffraction-limited) spatial and (sub-wave-cycle) temporal control of broadband optical radiation from the VIS-IR spectral range to the UV to VUV to XUV to SXR range, and (iii) exploiting the full potential in secondary (laser-driven) sources and their applications by developing advanced targets and detectors tailored for their needs.