Plasma physics is a field with a long-standing tradition at our Department of Physics, dating back to the 1960s. Over this extended period, we have acquired valuable expertise and established strong collaborations with leading institutions worldwide, including the University of Michigan, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, the Helmholtz Centre GSI Darmstadt, ENEA Frascati, and the Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion in Warsaw, among many others.
The group conducts fundamental research on hot, dense plasma generated by high-current pulsed discharges and by high-power laser-matter interactions. Electrical discharges with currents in the kiloampere to megaampere range give rise to so-called Z-pinch implosions, driven by self-generated magnetic fields, which heat the plasma to extreme temperatures on the order of millions of degrees Celsius – a temperature comparable with solar cores. In the case of laser-produced plasma, heating is achieved by focusing an ultrashort, high-power laser pulse onto a small focal spot. Modern lasers, delivering femtosecond pulses, can reach the petawatt power level. In both discharge-generated and laser-produced plasmas, a range of phenomena associated with extreme states of matter arise, including plasma instabilities, nuclear reactions, high-energy particle acceleration, electromagnetic pulse emission, and shock wave generation. Although these phenomena are well documented, many questions remain, and comprehensive theoretical models capable of explaining all experimental results and observed processes are still lacking.
The motivation for addressing these questions lies not only in the intrinsic scientific interest of the topic, but also in the fact that understanding the fundamental processes in hot, dense plasma is essential for mastering potential technologies, including nuclear fusion, advanced materials engineering, and a range of bioengineering applications.
Plasma physics research encompasses a wide range of specializations, from fundamental and nuclear physics, through high- and low-current electronics, to programming and numerical simulations. It includes both the development of experimental facilities and their diagnostics, as well as the execution of experiments and the subsequent data analysis and physical interpretation. As a result, anyone with an interest in science can find a topic tailored to their interests within our research activities, which each year leads to a number of engaging student projects and theses.
Members
Prof. Ing. Daniel Klír, Ph.D.
Head of the group
Prof. Klír focuses on the study of matter under extreme conditions, particularly on processes in pulsed-power-driven plasmas and high-current discharges reaching the mega-ampere range. His research interests include ion and electron acceleration in laboratory and space plasmas, plasma diagnostics, and controlled thermonuclear fusion.
Prof. RNDr. Pavel Kubeš, CSc
Honorary Group Leader
One of the founding members of the group. His research involves experimental studies of plasma and magnetohydrodynamic processes in plasma devices, particularly at the High-Current Discharges Laboratory of the Department of Physics, Czech Technical University in Prague, and at the PF-1000 megaampere plasma focus facility at IPPLM Warsaw.
Curriculum Vitae
Ing. Jakub Cikhardt, Ph.D.
Head of the laboratory
He conducts experimental research on pulsed high-current discharges and the interaction of pulsed high-power lasers with matter. He specializes in the generation of microwave, X-ray, and neutron pulses, as well as in the development of plasma and nuclear diagnostics.
Ing. Balžima Cikhardtová, Ph.D.
She specializes in particle detection using CR-39 nuclear track detectors and in laser probing of plasma, including two-dimensional interferometry and shadowgraphy.
Curriculum Vitae
Ing. Vojtěch Munzar, Ph.D.
His work primarily involves the study of particle acceleration, magnetic field distribution using ion deflectometry, and the physical interpretation of experimental data through numerical calculations and simulations.
Curriculum Vitae
Sushil Singh, Ph.D.
Sushil Singh focuses on hot electron and X-ray emission in laser plasma using solid and low-density foam targets for applications in inertial confinement fusion. He has experience in designing and developing plasma diagnostics. His experimental work spans magnetic field generation, shock ignition studies, proton-boron fusion, plasma instabilities neutron and gamma-ray generation, and particle acceleration at major laser facilities such as PALS and ELI Beamlines.
Curriculum Vitae
Ing. Jan Novotný
A doctoral student specializing in pulsed power technology and neutron and ion diagnostics. At the same time, he is a member of a team responsible for operation of the PFZ-200 plasma focus device in our laboratory. He actively participates in collaborative research projects at international facilities such as PHELIX and MAIZE. Beyond his experimental work, he also supervises bachelor’s students.
Ing. Jiří Löffelmann
A doctoral student specializing in laser-plasma simulations. His research focuses on extended magnetohydrodynamic (ExMHD) modeling of plasmas. He is currently developing a hybrid code to accurately simulate hot electron transport, capturing critical phenomena that standard MHD models miss. His other academic interests include developing machine learning models applied in physics.
Curriculum Vitae
Ing. Ondřej Zajan
Onřej Zajan is a doctoral student. His activities are focused on MHD simulations of high-energy-density plasmas. For his work, he utilises the FLASH multi-physics code. Particularly, he specialises on Z-pinch plasma and wire-array explosions.
Former members
doc. Ing. Josef Kravárik, CSc.
Emeritus researcher, former head of the laboratory
Josef Kravárik was one of the founding members of the group. For many years, he served as the head of the laboratory and made significant contributions to its development. His research focused primarily on the development of high-current pulsed electronics and diagnostics, particularly diagnostic lasers and laser-based plasma probing using shadowgraphy and interferometry.
Ing. Karel Řezáč, Ph.D.
Karel Řezáč was active in our group for many years, focusing on the development of diagnostic techniques and the implementation of experiments on Z-pinches and plasma focus devices. Later, he established his own research group dedicated to the development of experimental diagnostics.
Funding, grants and projects
In addition to institutional funding, our research activities are supported by a number of grants and research projects, including (since 2005):
- Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports – LUAUS26: Proton Radiography as a Novel Diagnostic Platform for Megaampere Pulsed-Power Generators (2026-2029)
- Czech Science Foundation – JUNIOR-STAR 23-05027M: Strong electromagnetic pulses: their generation, characterization and control (2023-2027)
- Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports –
LUAUS23069: Exploring and exploiting extreme states of pulsed-power plasmas as sources of high-energy particles (2023-2026) - Czech Science Foundation – GA 23-04679S: The study of z-pinch physics with novel diagnostic methods using fast ions (2023-2025)
- Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports LT INTER EXCELLENCE: Centre of Advanced Applied Sciences – CAAS (2019-2023)
- Czech Science Foundation – GA19-02545S: Complex Physical Characterization of Z-Pinch Plasmas (2019-2022)
- Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports LTT17015: Reserch in frame International Center for Dense Magnetized Plasmas (2018-2021)
- Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports LTA USA 17084: High-energy processes in plasmas generated by pulsed-power devices (2017-2021)
- Czech Science Foundation – GA16-07036S: Ion acceleration mechanisms in deuterium z-pinches (2016-2018)
- Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports LG15013: Research in the Frame of the Internatinal Center for Dense Magnetized Plasmas (2016-2017)
- Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports INGO II LG13029: Research in the Frame of the Internatinal Center for Dense Magnetized Plasmas (2013-2015)
- Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports – LH KONTAKT II LH13283: Research of plasma of terawatt z-pinches (2013-2015)
- Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports – LG INGO II LG13029: Research in the frame of international center of dense magnetized plasmas (203-2015)
- International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA 17088: Characterization of High Energy Deuteron Pulses Produced by Dense Magnetized Plasmas (2012-2015)
- Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports – ME KONTAKT ME09087: Research of Plasma of Fast Z-pinches (2009-2012)
- Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports – LA INGO LA08024: Research in the Frame of the International Center for Dense Magnetized Plasmas – ICDMP (2008-2012)
- Czech Science Foundation – SGA02008GA-DG: Modern Trends in Plasma Physics (2008-2011)
- International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA 14817: Research of hot plasma generated with discharge source (2008-2012)
- Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports – LA08024: Research in the Frame of the International Center for Dense Magnetized Plasmas – ICDMP (2008-2012)
- Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports – LC528: Centre of Laser Plasma (2005-2011)
- Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports – 1P05ME761: Study of Imploding Loads at S-300 (2005-2008)