The Czech Academy of Sciences today awarded the Otto Wichterle Award to a total of twenty-five scientists. The 2025 awards were presented to four laureates from our institute by Radomír Pánek, President of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
The Česká hlava (Czech Head) National Government Award has been presented by the Minister for Science, Research and Innovation to Tomáš Jungwirth from the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences. He received the most prestigious scientific award for his contribution to spintronics research. The ceremony of the 23rd edition of the competition brought recognition also to David Vojna, who received the Doctorandus Award for Technical Sciences.
The LasApp project builds on a long tradition of unique research and development in the field of laser technologies in the Czech Republic and makes full use of the existing infrastructure and expert background. Scientists have identified three strategic areas where laser technology can play a major role in the future in the search for new breakthroughs and discoveries. These areas are space applications, biotechnology and advanced laser technologies for smart manufacturing. For all these areas, knowledge in the fields of smart optics, data handling, automation, robotics and AI will play a key role in the future.
We are happy to announce that the BIVOJ laser system is once again a record holder in its performance class. This is BIVOJ's second world record this year and the third overall. Earlier this month the high energy output from BIVOJ was converted (via second harmonic frequency conversion) to 515 nm wavelength pulses with an energy of more than 68 J at a repetition rate of 10 Hz, which at the time of writing is the world's highest average power in the category of high energy (>1 J), high average power lasers.
This year marks a decade since the European Commission and the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports approved two unique laser research projects ELI Beamlines and HiLASE, which were both successfully implemented as part of the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences. In celebration of the anniversary, an official meeting attended by the representatives of leading Czech and foreign institutions took place at ELI Beamlines in Dolní Břežany. In a video-call, it was also joined on-line by Gérard Mourou, the winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics and the initiator of the centre at the European level.
Innovative methods of material surface treatment and a completely new and unique solution in the field of industrial tool preparation, using laser technologies, are available thanks to Hi-Beams, s.r.o., a newly established spin-off of HiLASE Centre and SHM company, an expert on industrial PVD coatings.
The BIVOJ laser has broken its own performance record that it set in 2016.
It is with profound sorrow that I inform you of the passing of our highly respected and beloved colleague, Antonio Lucianetti, after a short and insidious illness. He left this world calmly on November 19, 2020, in Bergamo at the age of 55.
ELI Beamlines is the largest research project in modern Czech history, operating a unique laser system since last summer. This 17 metres-long laser system boasts with the highest average power in the world, enabling to create - for a split second - the warmest spot in the universe.
The best students will receive an internship offer to work in research teams to be able to get some more detailed insight into the research in laser physics as part of other activities.
HiLASE turns into technologically advanced Centre of Excellence, aimed at serving a broad scientific and industrial laser user community It will drive new laser-based applications in industry, such as advanced material treatments and energy production.
The Josef Hlávka Prize is awarded to talented students who have proved their exceptional capabilities and creative thinking in their branch of science. Two awards connected to the Institute of Physics went to the Department of Thin Films and Nanostructures and the Division of High Power Systems, the HiLASE project.
