Our group maintains long-term collaborations with a number of Czech and international institutions. Below is a list of selected collaborators with whom joint experimental campaigns and research visits have been carried out. In addition to the institutions listed below, our group also collaborates with ENEA Frascati, University of Bordeaux, and Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.
PALS laser facility
The PALS Research Centre is a joint research facility operated by the Institute of Physics and the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The core of the facility is the high-power 3 TW iodine laser system Asterix IV, operating at a fundamental wavelength of 1315 nm and capable of delivering up to 1 kJ of energy in pulses with durations of 250–350 ps. When focused onto a small spot on a material target, the laser produces energy densities sufficient to heat matter to temperatures comparable to, or even exceeding, those in the solar core, thereby generating hot dense plasma.
Through a long-term and close collaboration with the PALS facility, our research group has participated in a wide range of experiments focused on particle acceleration, neutron generation, nuclear fusion studies, electromagnetic pulse (EMP) emission, and related topics in high-energy-density plasma physics.
An important part of our activities is the involvement of students at all academic levels in cutting-edge experimental research. This provides students with hands-on experience using advanced experimental facilities and diagnostics, while also enabling them to develop high-quality bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral theses.
GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt
One of the key international collaborators of our research group is the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research. Founded in 1969, GSI is a major German research center jointly funded by the federal government and the state of Hesse. Over the course of its history, research conducted at GSI has contributed to the discovery of six new chemical elements.
GSI carries out both fundamental and applied research in physics and related natural sciences. Its principal research areas include plasma physics, atomic physics, nuclear structure and reaction physics, biophysics, and medical research. The laboratory is also a member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres.
Since 2012, our group has participated in a number of joint experiments, primarily at the petawatt-class laser facility PHELIX (Petawatt High-Energy Laser for Heavy Ion Experiments). A unique capability of the PHELIX system is the simultaneous coupling of a high-power laser beam with high-energy heavy-ion beams delivered into the same interaction chamber by the accelerator complex.
These collaborative experiments have focused mainly on the interaction of ultra-intense laser pulses with ultralight foam targets, laser-driven electron and ion acceleration, ion stopping in laser-generated plasmas, generation of electromagnetic pulses (EMP), neutron bursts, and betatron radiation.
Doctoral students are regularly involved in these experiments, gaining valuable hands-on experience with large-scale international research infrastructures. The collaboration has also enabled several long-term research stays and internships at GSI.
Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion Warsaw
The first international collaboration of our group was established with the Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion (IPPLM) in Warsaw. This cooperation has continued since the 1980s and has resulted in a number of experiments and numerous publications in international peer-reviewed journals.
Our scientific collaboration covers both the development of diagnostic techniques, particularly laser interferometry, and the study of laser-produced and discharge plasmas, primarily at the PF-1000 plasma focus operated at IPPLM. With a peak current of 3 MA and a capacitor bank capable of storing up to 1 MJ, this plasma focus is by far the largest device of its kind in Europe and one of the largest such facilities in the world. At this faciltity, students regularly participate in experimental internships, and a number of student research projects and theses have been carried out there.
Collaboration with the University of Michigan
Since 2022, our plasma physics team has established a highly successful and productive collaboration with the University of Michigan, working closely with Ryan D. McBride and his research group. The core of our joint experimental efforts is centered around MAIZE, a linear transformer driver (LTD) pulsed-power generator capable of delivering currents of up to 500 kA with a 200 ns rise time into a load.
Our ongoing research focuses on studying X-pinch dynamics to develop a reproducible point-like proton source for applications such as proton radiography. During experiments on the MAIZE generator, our team observed radial proton beams with energies up to 3 MeV and obtained the first-ever X-pinch-driven proton radiographs. This breakthrough was published in Physical Review Letters as an Editors’ Suggestion and opens new possibilities for research in laboratory astrophysics, controlled-thermonuclear fusion, and high-energy-density physics.
Collaboration with Cornell University
Our research group has been actively collaborating with the Laboratory of Plasma Studies (LPS) at Cornell University — a prestigious Ivy League institution — since 2024. The LPS team, led by David Hammer, is widely recognized as one of the leading US university groups specializing in pulsed-power plasma physics. Through this collaboration, our team gains access to world-class pulsed-power generators, including the XP generator (450 kA peak current, 60 ns current rise time) and the powerful COBRA machine (1.2 MA peak current, 80–200 ns current rise time).
This fruitful partnership focuses primarily on X-pinch experiments conducted on the XP generator. Our joint research is officially supported from 2026 to 2029 by the Czech-US INTER-EXCELLENCE project funded by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MŠMT) of the Czech Republic.
Collaboration with the US Naval Research Laboratory
Since 2017, our research group has been conducting experiments on the Hawk pulsed-power generator at the United States Naval Research Laboratory. HAWK is a versatile high-inductance pulsed-power generator capable of delivering currents of up to 700 kA into a load with a 1 μs rise time. Working alongside Dr. Stuart Jackson and Dr. Andrey Beresnyak, our joint efforts have focused on developing a pulsed-power-driven source of nanosecond neutron pulses. This source is intended for neutron-diagnosed subcritical experiments, which play a key role in the nuclear stockpile stewardship program.
Collaboration with CCHEN and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Our most geographically distant collaboration is with the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission (CCHEN) in Santiago de Chile, specifically with Cristian Pavez Morales from the Plasmas and Materials Center. Their research group focuses on the development and diagnostics of small dense plasma focus (DPF) devices. We participate in these experiments as scientific advisors, contributing our extensive expertise in fusion neutron and proton diagnostics.
In 2024, this Chilean partnership was further expanded to include the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, enabling collaboration on experiments using the 400 kA Llampudken pulsed-power generator as well.
Former collaborations
In the past, our group also carried out a number of joint experiments in collaboration with Institute of High Current Electronics in Tomsk and Kurchatov Institute in Moscow. However, this cooperation was terminated following the Russian aggression against Ukraine.