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The Central Laser Facility (CLF) has been awarded £85 million by UKRI to support a major upgrade, which will include construction of the Vulcan 20-20 laser, which is set to be the most powerful laser in the world.

Harnessing lasers for physics

CLF, based at the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) in South Oxfordshire, uses a suite of lasers to create the fourth state of matter (in addition to solid, liquid, and gas) known as plasma.

Plasma is formed when normal matter is placed in extreme conditions, for example very high temperatures or pressures.

The particles in plasma behave in unusual ways that scientists can study to gain insights into the fundamental properties of all matter including in essential products such as batteries.

Harnessing lasers for physics

CLF, based at the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) in South Oxfordshire, uses a suite of lasers to create the fourth state of matter (in addition to solid, liquid, and gas) known as plasma.

Plasma is formed when normal matter is placed in extreme conditions, for example very high temperatures or pressures.

The particles in plasma behave in unusual ways that scientists can study to gain insights into the fundamental properties of all matter including in essential products such as batteries.

Harnessing lasers for physics

CLF, based at the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) in South Oxfordshire, uses a suite of lasers to create the fourth state of matter (in addition to solid, liquid, and gas) known as plasma.

Plasma is formed when normal matter is placed in extreme conditions, for example very high temperatures or pressures.

The particles in plasma behave in unusual ways that scientists can study to gain insights into the fundamental properties of all matter including in essential products such as batteries.

Boost UK science sector

George Freeman, Science Minister, said: said:

“Reestablishing Britain as home to the world’s most powerful laser is an exciting opportunity to explore the unexplored in astronomy and physics, stride towards new clean energy sources for the good of our planet and much more. By investing £85m to give our research community the edge in leading crucial scientific discoveries, we are also delivering hundreds of highly skilled jobs in science and engineering that boost the UK science sector and grow our economy.” STFC and CLF are currently recruiting for a range of roles to support the Vulcan 20-20 upgrade programme including engineers, technicians, and project managers. Full details about the programme and these roles can be found on the CLF careers website."

For the benefit of society

Professor Mark Thomson, Executive Chair of STFC and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Champion for Infrastructure, said: said:

“The Central Laser Facility has been a driving force behind discoveries that have advanced our understanding of diverse areas from the fundamental properties of matter under extreme conditions to the formation of stars and planets. To keep this world leading facility at the forefront of science and to make new breakthroughs for the benefit of society, it is essential that we invest in the development and deployment of advanced high-power laser technology. The Vulcan 20-20 programme will keep the Central Laser Facility at the cutting edge of the highest-power laser science and enable entirely new experiments in crucial areas such as renewable energy research.”