In this cluster two main lines of research are being pursued. The first line encompasses the study of excitation, transport, kinetics and non-equilibrium phenomena associated with the plasma state and the plasma-surface interface. These are important in plasma processing and in the generation of light by plasmas. The processing involves deposition and etching of new materials (solar cells), as well as cleaning of waste fluids and gases. Light generation by plasma sources is being studied over the range from infrared to extreme ultraviolet

The second line of research addresses a range of plasma phenomena in the physics of ultra-high-brightness electron beams. Here one is dealing with plasmas in extreme conditions – high density, high power density, short lived, fully ionized – which form an essential ingredient in the search for acceleration and light generation in compact structures. The long-term goal is the development of a compact accelerator for driving various schemes to generate extreme ultraviolet radiation, ultimately including a free-electron laser.

The cluster also comprises activities on ultra cold plasmas, nanostructure fabrication and quantum gases; these are incorporated in this cluster because of their close ties with laser instrumentation and diagnostics.