University of Nova Gorica
Contact: Giovanni De Ninno
In recent years the activities of Nova Gorica University in the field of laser science and technology developed along three main lines:
1) Design and implementation of a seeded free-electron laser (called EUFOS) on the Elettra storage ring at Sincrotrone Trieste (2007-2011). The FEL is based on the interaction between a high power table-top seed laser (e.g., a Ti:Sa) and a relativistic electron beam in the presence of the static and periodic magnetic field generated by an undulator. The peculiarity of the EUFOS FEL is in the fact that electrons are re-circulated in a storage ring.
2) Design and commissioning of the single-pass seeded free-electron laser FERMI@Elettra at Sincrotrone Trieste (2005-2011). The FERMI FEL uses the same principle as EUFOS but with a linear accelerator instead of a storage ring to generate and transport electrons which allows the production of much more powerful FEL light at shorter wavelengths.
3) Development of a state-of-the-art light source (called CITIUS) based on the principle of laser high-order harmonic generation (HHG) in gas (2010-2011). A powerful seed laser is focused onto a sample of rare gas to emit powerful coherent pulses at high-order harmonics of the seed signal. Part of the light will feed an optical parametric amplifier emitting tunable infra-red light. At the end of the project, the source will be permanently used for pump-probe experiments in the field of ultra-fast photophysics and photochemistry.