HZDR (Dresden, Germany)

Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V.

HZDR is a multi-disciplinary national research center with about 1200 employees focused on programmatic research in the fields of health, matter and energy, and on running large scale research infrastructures. Laser-based advanced accelerator research, cancer-related medical physics, high field physics and high power laser development are performed at the ELBE center for high power radiation sources, also operating electron accelerator driven IR FELs and superradiant THz sources as user facilities.

  • Draco Lab is a versatile, dual-beam TiSa laser system, delivering 4J and/or 20J pulses of 30fs to targets for user access. 2 target areas with 3 target chambers are available, alongside with various optical probes, accelerator-based electron bunches and pulsed power magnetic fields. Beyond, Draco serves as laser R&D lab, jointly operated with Amplitude Laser Group.
  • Penelope Lab is unique, directly diode-pumped PW-class laser system, operating with Yb:CaF2 at 1030nm (150fs), currently at the commissioning phase for the 10J amplifier. A new target area, capable for the full Penelope design parameters (150J/150fs, 1Hz) and for experiments using both Penelope and Draco pulses is set into operation.
  • HED/HIBEF at the European XFEL is another lab operated by HZDR and other partners, extending the capabilities of the HED endstation with high-energy and high-power lasers.
Research highlights

Laser-driven high-energy proton beams from cascaded acceleration regimes, T. Ziegler, I. Göthel, S. Assenbaum, C. Bernert, F.-E. Brack, T.E. Cowan, N.P. Dover, L. Gaus, T. Kluge, S. Kraft, F. Kroll, J. Metzkes-Ng, M. Nishiuchi, I. Prencipe, T. Püschel, M. Rehwald, M. Reimold, H.-P. Schlenvoigt, M.E.P. Umlandt, M. Vescovi, U. Schramm and K. Zeil, Nature Physics 20, 1211 (2024)

Ultra-short pulse laser acceleration of protons to 80 MeV from cryogenic hydrogen jets tailored to near-critical density, M. Rehwald, S. Assenbaum, C. Bernert, F.-E. Brack, M. Bussmann, T.E. Cowan, C.B. Curry, F. Fiuza, M. Garten, L. Gaus, M. Gauthier, S. Göde, I. Goethel, S.H. Glenzer, L. Huang, A. Huebl, J.B. Kim, T. Kluge, S. Kraft, F.Kroll, J. Metzkes-Ng, T. Miethlinger, M. Loeser, L. Obst-Huebl, M. Reimold, H.-P. Schlenvoigt, C. Schoenwaelder, U. Schramm, M. Siebold, F. Treffert, L. Yang, T. Ziegler,and K. Zeil, Nature Communications 14, 4009 (2023)

Seeded free-electron laser driven by a compact laser plasma accelerator, M. Labat, J. Couperus Cabadag, A. Ghaith, A. Irman, A. Berlioux, P. Berteaud, F. Blache, S. Bock, F. Bouvet, F. Briquez, Y.-Y. Chang, S. Corde, A. Debus, C. De Oliveira, J.-P. Duval, Y. Dietrich, M. El Ajjouri, C. Eisenmann, J. Gautier, R. Gebhardt, S. Grams, U. Helbig, C. Herbeaux, N. Hubert, C. Kitegi, O. Kononenko, M. Kuntzsch, M. LaBerge, S. Le, B. Leluan, A. Loulergue, V. Malka, F. Marteau, M. Huy N Guyen, D. Oumbarek-Espinos, R. Pausch, D. Pereira, T. Püschel, J.-P. Ricaud, P. Rommeluere, E. Roussel, P. Rousseau, S. Sch öbel, M. Sebdaoui, K. Steiniger, K. Tavakoli, C. Thaury, P. Ufer, M. Valleau, M. Vandenberghe, J. Veteran, U. Schramm, and M.-E. Couprie, Nature Photonics 17, 150 (2023)

Tumor irradiation in mice with a laser-accelerated proton beam, F. Kroll, F.E. Brack, C. Bernert, S. Bock, E. Bodenstein, K. Brüchner, T.E. Cowan, L. Gaus, R. Gebhardt, U. Helbig, L. Karsch, T. Kluge, S. Kraft, M. Krause, E. Lessmann, U. Masood, S. Meister, J. Metzkes-Ng, A. Nossula, J. Pawelke, J. Pietzsch, T. Püschel, M. Reimold, M. Rehwald, C. Richter, H.-P. Schlenvoigt, U. Schramm, M.E.P. Umlandt, T. Ziegler, K. Zeil, and E. Beyreuther, Nature Physics 18, 316 (2022)

Expertise

We focus on fundamental research of laser-matter-interaction at extreme intensities, both experimentally and by simulations. By combining both methods we want to gain deeper understanding of the physics, in order to explore the potential for optimizing the interactions towards compact particle accelerators and brilliant radiation sources. In experiments, we emphasize laser metrology, secondary sources, and dual/multi-beam experiments (probing, staged acceleration).

Equipment offered to external users

Proposals from external user are generally endorsed for either collaborative access – where users and HZDR address the same questions and find synergies when working together– , or for experiments which can run alongside with HZDR’s campaigns. In both cases, external users can have access to all our equipment, teams and expertise.