About us
We are a research group developing XUV radiation sources and their applications in biology and medicine. Following the work done on pinching capillary discharge by our colleagues from Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, we focus on optimizing the source to generate radiation of ‘water window’ wavelengths.
Our laboratory is also equipped with Goettingen Laser Laboratorium developed XUV source. Research is mainly performed by our PhD and graduate students. We also cooperate with Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University (CTU) , Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS), Institute of Photonics and Electronics CAS and Institute of Plasma Physics CAS. Our foreign partners include Department of Chemistry, Brown University, USA, Laser Laboratorium Goettingen, Germany, ITEP Moscow, Russia and EPPRA Paris, France.
What is XUV radiation and what do we use it for?
XUV (eXtreme UltraViolet) radiation is electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths of 1 – 100 nm. It is highly absorbed by earth’s atmosphere as well as by most common materials. Therefore, there are no natural sources. This part of radiation spectrum exhibits resonance effects (absorption and emission) on inner quantum states. XUV imaging is also possible, detecting structures of dozens of nm in size. Major usage is expected in molecular biology. Industrial application mostly concern lithography. Diagnosis and imaging of cellular structure is also possible.
Most important XUV sources are synchrotrons. Alternatively, plasma of temperature of 20 – 100 eV, obtained either by electric capillary discharge or by laser hitting gaseous target. We use XUV sources based on both methods, currently focusing on description and optimization of their parameters. We have also performed preliminary biological experiments.
Where do we work?
Our home base is Department of Natural sciences at Czech Technical University in Prague, located in the ‘KOKOS’ building , room Cs 103 in Kladno, Sitna sq. As part of the renovation in 2008, a new, state-of-the-art laboratory was built.
