The IMPULSE project

IMPULSE (Integrated Management and Reliable Operations for User-based Laser Scientific Excellence) is a 42-month EU-funded project supporting the transition of ELI to sustainable operations. As ELI enters a crucial phase with the establishment of the ELI European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ELI ERIC) and the gradual opening of the ELI Facilities to users, IMPULSE addresses the key scientific, technical, organizational, and management requirements of this transition, building user communities and expanding the ELI member consortium.

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Project objectives

IMPULSE brings together the expertise and experience of leading European laser facilities to accelerate ELI’s transition to top-level sustainable operations. It will leverage opportunities for technical synergies across Europe’s leading high-power, short-pulse laser centres. The project aims in particular at implementing best practices to ensure efficient and controlled operations of ELI’s cutting-edge laser technologies and support excellent user access.

Importantly, IMPULSE also aims to position ELI as a global platform for high-power laser development, driving innovation in the field. Together, the partners will implement standards and practices supporting excellence and consistent quality for users. IMPULSE will scientifically demonstrate the performance and potential of each of the ELI facilities early in the operational programme. An extensive analysis of the scientific community that can exploit ELI and other laser facilities will be carried out. That will be supported with extensive outreach activities to anchor the success of ELI’s scientific programme with a broad community.

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Consortium partners

The activities and key objectives of this ambitious project will be achieved thanks to the joint efforts and contributions of 15 Consortium partners from 9 European countries.

ELI ERIC (Extreme Light Infrastructure European Research Infrastructure Consortium)

ELI-ALPS (ELI-HU Kutatási és Fejlesztési Nonprofit Közhasznú Korlátolt Felelősségű Társaság)

ELI Beamlines (Extreme Light Infrastructure European Research Infrastructure Consortium)

ELI-NP (Institutul National De Cercetare-Dezvoltare Pentru Fizica Si Inginerienucleara-Horia Hulubei)

TUDA (Technische Universitat Darmstadt)

STFC (Science and Technology Facilities Council, United Kingdom)

CLPU (Consorcio Para El Diseno, Construccion, Equipamiento y Explotacion Del Centro De Laseres Pulsados Ultracortes Ultraintensos)

LMU Muenchen (Ludvig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen)

CNR (Consoglio Nazionale delle Ricerche)

ELETTRA (Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste SCPA)

HZDR (Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf EV)

IST (Instituto Superior Tecnico)

INFN (Instituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)

QUB (The Queen’s University of Belfast)

FORTH (Idryma Technologias Kai Erevnas)




Overview of activities

WP1 – Setting-up and Project Management

This WP addresses the necessary support for the continuous planning of the Project’s implementation and its integral management. It will ensure in particular that the planning and actual implementation stages of the Project are consistent and congruent with the progress made by ELI.

WP leader: Minja Maric (ELI ERIC)

WP2 – Joint Development of ELI as an Integrated Organization

The primary non-scientific aim of IMPULSE is to ensure the successful transition of ELI from Construction to Sustainable Operations. The main objective of WP2 is to ensure the development of ELI and its transition to an integrated scientific organization through the design and implementation of a shared management system and related supporting information systems.

WP leader: Gábor Németh (ELI ERIC)

WP3 – Ramping-up Towards Excellent Steady-state Operations

The ELI facilities reach performance excellence in routine operations with a joint approach aimed at optimizing performance and efficiency, tackling critical challenges and standardizing requirements, together with the communities of users and large RIs.

WP leader: András Makai (ELI-ALPS)

WP4 – Key Technologies for Enhanced Experiments

The mitigation of risks inherent in the routine operation of research infrastructures such as ELI (which uses state-of-the-art high-power, high repetition-rate laser systems) requires the understanding and control of a few key technologies. The secondary sources are critical in terms of attractiveness for users: selected key technologies contribute to the enhancement of the capabilities of the ELI facilities.

WP leader: Daniel Kramer (ELI Beamlines)

WP5 – Enabling Excellent User Access

Implementing standards and practices in all areas related to user experience to support the development of ELI as the most advanced user facility in the world in the field of laser-driven science.

WP leader: Ovidiu Tesileanu (ELI-NP)

WP6 – Fostering ELI’s Innovation Impact

Maximize ELI’s impact on innovation through the development of a shared approach to knowledge transfer and industrial access.

WP leader: Aleš Hála (ELI Beamlines)

WP7 – Promoting ELI Membership & Communication

Promote the project and ELI through activities aiming at attracting new members and strategic partners within ELI ERIC and at promoting joint efforts within the European laser community around ELI and the development of high intensity high-repetition-rate laser science.

WP leader: Alexandra Schmidli (ELI ERIC)