Development of ultrafast laser diagnostics for transient electrical discharges relevant to new technologies suitable for nitrogen fixation Project ID: *CNR-25-11 Provider: Czech Academy of Sciences Period: Jan 01, 2025 - Dec 31, 2027 Principal Investigator: RNDr. Milan Šimek, Ph.D. Co-investigators G. Arora, P. Bílek, J. Fujera, P. Hoffer, V. Prukner Aims of the project: A better understanding of the physics and kinetics of nanosecond repetitive plasma discharges requires investigation of the physical phenomena on sub-nanosecond scales that determine the much slower post-discharge relaxation and chemical kinetics. The development of the electric field during the ignition phase of the electrical discharge and the dynamics of the formation of reactive chemicals such as N, O and NO call for the development of ultrafast diagnostic techniques. The basic goal of this project is to push the limits (namely time resolution) of specific laser diagnostics (laser-induced fluorescence, LIF and electric field-induced second harmonic generation, EFISH) by combining expertise and unique experimental equipment of the CAS (ultrafast PMT and ICCD detectors) and CNR (femtosecond and picosecond diagnostic lasers) laboratories with a significant qualitative impact on the research of the phase of plasma formation in the case of highly transient electrical discharges, such as fast ionizing waves at atmospheric pressures.