Unique Prague-based laser facility invites scientists from across Europe

Passers-by would never guess what lies inside this inconspicuous two-storey building in a quiet north Prague suburb. The simple concrete construction houses one of the largest lasers in Europe. In fact, it is the most powerful radiation source ever developed in laboratory conditions. Its output amounts to four times all the street lights in Prague shining out from the tip of a needle. As part of an EU programme, the unique centre invites researchers from across Europe to come here and carry out their projects.

Unique Prague-based laser facility invites scientists from across Europe

Prague Asterix Laser Centre, photo: Pavla Horakova

Before I visited the Prague Asterix Laser Centre, I though lasers were neat little devices used in cosmetic surgery. But imagine a large hall full of pipes, tubes, ducts, mirrors and lenses where you are required to put on special shoes, white overalls and a hat so as not to soil the spotless environment.

"This is a terawatt laser system delivering high-power laser pulses which are applicable for basic as well as advanced technological research in disciplines like laboratory astrophysics, high power research of matter, in the research of X-ray lasers and other basic science disciplines,"

Laser system, photo: Pavla Horakova

says Bedrich Rus, the head of the research team. The whole facility is made of two parts. The German-developed Asterix laser and the X-ray generating part which looks like two silver spherical space satellites.

"While the laser itself was given to the Czech Academy of Sciences by German scientists, the other part where the research is conducted was completely designed and built by Czech companies, Czech researchers and Czech engineers. And it is unique in the European context. For example the vacuum chambers are probably the largest which have been ever made in the Czech Republic."

Bedrich Rus, photo: Pavla Horakova

Approximately every 30 minutes, a tune announces that the laser is about to beam, the chambers need to be shut and locked and the large window shutters closed.

All the scientists then gather in the office and wait for an amoeba-like image to appear on a computer screen. Dr Bedrich Rus told me that it shows whether the path of the laser beam is clear and the team can start their experiment.

"Currently we are running a pioneering English-Czech collaborative research in laboratory astrophysics aiming to measure thermal conductivity of the matter existing in the interior of the Sun and the interior of certain exotic stars."

Professor Greg Tallents, photo: Pavla Horakova

The British team that is currently working on their experiment in Prague is led by Professor Greg Tallents from the University of York.

"This is one of the biggest laser systems that are available to researchers under the European 'Access'. Also the expertise in developing X-ray lasers has helped the experiment quite a bit as well. Bedrich Rus and his team have done quite a nice lot of work developing X-ray lasers work and they have got a very smooth beam-profile for the X-ray laser."

Scientists agree X-ray lasers have a great future. Not only can they simulate the conditions inside bright stars but they could be used to shape parts for nanometre scale robots or allow microbiologists to examine fragile organic molecules within living cells.