Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) Project
The Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) project, encompassing the world’s most powerful laser developed by Thales and housed at ELI-NP in Romania, represents a monumental stride in laser technology. With its inception rooted in a proposal by Nobel Prize laureate Gérard Mourou in 2005, the project achieved a significant milestone on March 7, 2019, by generating pulses at a record-breaking 10 petawatts power level. This achievement not only marks ELI-NP as the host of the most potent laser system globally but also paves the way for groundbreaking research in nuclear physics and various scientific fields. The project, benefiting from a unique funding model combining EU structural funds and member contributions, aims to explore fundamental physics, advance understanding of matter, and potentially revolutionize cancer treatment and materials science. Despite facing challenges, including legal disputes over construction specifications, the project’s integration into the ELI European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) signifies a forward path towards leveraging this technology for scientific, industrial, and societal benefits.
