NRNU MEPhI, VNIIEF and the Institute of General Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences: ELF (Experimental Laser-Physical Installation)

Main article: Laser equipment (lasers) (Russian market)

2022: Work on a multifunctional laser plant

At NRNU MEPhI, work is underway to create a multifunctional laser installation of kilojoule energy level "ELF" (ELF - Experimental Laser-Physical Installation; англ.: ELF - Experimental Laser Facility). This laser is also needed by world science, but the university also needs it, since large, such installations for December 2022 are a necessary property of the university. The project is supported by the Priority 2030 program. This was announced on December 21, 2022 by representatives of the NRNU MEPhI.

Vacuum target chamber of the ELF laser complex

As reported, scientific infrastructure of this scale performs three functions: firstly, it allows you to obtain world-class scientific results that would be embodied in highly cited publications; secondly, provides the opportunity to train students to work on powerful, expensive installations similar to those on which they will work in scientific teams after graduation; and thirdly, such an establishment should contribute to the inclusion of the university in the world scientific agenda.

The idea was to create not just a powerful laser, but a laser with a "user interface," which in its characteristics provides a wide range of research opportunities for scientists from different laboratories and institutes. That is, the installation should become a supplier of a "universal scientific service." The fact is that as of December 2022, powerful lasers can be used in experiments in various scientific fields - such as fusion, plasma physics, extreme states of matter and even laboratory astrophysics. The latest field, which gained popularity in 2022, is perhaps especially interesting - it involves modeling processes using lasers in laboratory conditions, similar to those that occur in the bowels of stars and in supernova explosions, and thus conclude about the physics of the universe. According to Andrei Kuznetsov, director of the Institute of Laser and Plasma Technologies at NRNU MEPhI, ELF should operate in the "photon factory" mode, generating laser pulses on the "orders" of scientists working on it, who can request laser radiation with certain parameters - the required energy, spectrum, duration and time form of the pulse, as well as with a set of accompanying diagnostics.

In the world, kilojoule laser installations are usually created countries that have the technology to create even more powerful megajoule energy installations. There are now five such countries in the world as of December 2022 USA France:,,,,. Russia China At the Japan same time, as the experience of foreign colleagues shows, "in tandem" with national installations, mega-level installations work. This applies to the LULI2000 laser, which works France in École polytechnique, and the Omega laser in. The fact is University of Rochester USA that an experiment on the installation of megajoule power can be hundreds of thousands, but dollars it can be significantly reduced in price if some of the "components" of the experiment - for example, the alleged modes - work out "on a small scale" on university lasers. Meanwhile Sarov , specialists are already VNIIEF creating a laser mega-installation of a megajoule energy level, "additional" in relation to which there will be an "ELF." By the way, the close interaction of laser mega-installations with nuclear power is also a global tradition.

The basis for the ELF was the element base of the Luch kilojoule laser installation already existing in Sarov. However, we are not talking about creating a copy of "Ray." Over the past two years, a working group consisting of employees of VNIIEF and NII MEPhI has proposed an original scheme for amplifying laser radiation. If in the standard "Ray" scheme with the same number of amplifying elements it was possible to generate a laser pulse with an energy of the order of one kilojoule, then in "ELF," as calculations show, at the same input energy costs, it is possible to increase the pulse energy to 6 kilojoules.

It is planned that ELF will have two channels: one will generate a pulse with a duration of 5-20 nanoseconds - with a picosecond pulse duration. As of December 2022, there is generally a shortage of kilojoule power lasers in the world, and there are no installations in which it would be possible to simultaneously use two beams of nano- and picosecudal duration in the world. The unique properties of the ELF will allow it to "work" in the framework of research inaccessible to other existing laser installations, study the properties of materials during high-speed deformation, propagation in the substance of shock waves, study many properties of hot plasma, which can be useful to astrophysicists and in the design of thermonuclear reactors.

As of December 2022, infrastructure is being created for the placement of the laser. The installation will be located on the ground floor of the scientific and laboratory building of the NRNU MEPhI in rooms with a total area of ​ ​ 600 square meters, and its heart will be the "Laser Hall" with an area of ​ ​ 300 square meters where large laser-optical equipment will be located in a "clean zone."

2021: Support for Priority 2030

In 2021, the project received support from the Priority 2030 program.

2020: Agreement on the creation of a laser installation

in 2020, an agreement was concluded on the creation of a laser installation between NRNU MEPhI, VNIIEF and the Institute of General Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (later FIAN joined the same agreement).

2018: Support of the Academy of Sciences

In 2018, the idea of ​ ​ creating an "ELF" received support from the Academy of Sciences.

2015: The idea of ​ ​ creating

The idea of ​ ​ creating "ELF" appeared around 2015.