Lasers and Accelerators

Laser, Accelerator, and Laser Acceleration

The research activities of laser group at PSI are focused on the development and application of ultrafast high-power lasers and electron sources. Such sources allow triggering and investigation of ultrafast phenomena in matter occuring on picosecond, femtoseconds (10-15 s) down to the attosecond (10-18) time scale.

Cutting-edge laser systems (THz, IR, UV, VUV, soft x-ray) are used to initiate and follow ultrafast phenomena such as cathalytic reactions and ultrafast demagnetization processes, and to investigate novel schemes to improve performance of next generation accelerators and modern x-ray light sources, such as Free Electron Lasers.

At the Paul Scherrer Institute has just finished construction of the Swiss Free Electron Laser.