02 Jun 2025

ELI Deepens Strategic Collaboration with Canadian Partners

The Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) continues to strengthen its ties with Canadian researchers and institutions, building on a history of collaboration in high-intensity laser science. In May, a delegation from ELI visited Canada for a series of meetings with scientists and key stakeholders across the country. The meetings brought together leading researchers, industry, institutional representatives and funding agencies to deepen scientific cooperation and explore new avenues for joint research, innovation and training programs.

Canada has long been a leading country in laser science, with institutions like Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) and the Advanced Laser Light Source (ALLS), as well as the National Research Council (NRC) driving breakthroughs in attosecond science, ultrafast molecular dynamics, and plasma physics. Canadian researchers have helped lay the very foundations of ultrafast physics, shaping the way high-intensity lasers are used in probing matter on the shortest timescales.

This expertise translates into a strong and growing interest in ELI’s capabilities. Canadian institutions have been active participants in the ELI User Programme, submitting proposals and preparing in collaborative research projects that leverage ELI’s world-class laser systems. With complementary strengths and a shared ambition to advancing ultrafast and high-intensity laser science in Canada, there is strong potential for continued innovation.

"The partnership between ELI and Canada connects Canadian research talent with ELI’s cutting-edge infrastructure, enabling our researchers and students to engage in scientific experiments at ELI, develop new technologies, and contribute to a global community that is driving discovery at the frontiers of laser science," says François Légaré, Director of INRS-EMT, CEO of the Advanced Laser Light Source (ALLS) and long-time collaborator of ELI.

Among the key highlights of the weeklong programme were dedicated scientific events hosted at INRS/ALLS, the University of Ottawa, the National Research Council, the Perimeter Institute and the University of Waterloo, Canada's leading centres in quantum and laser research. ELI scientists also joined the conference “Celebrating 100 Years of Quantum Science”, in Ottawa, presenting ELI’s current capabilities, strategic priorities and recent scientific achievements.

The scientific workshop at INRS, in Montreal, organized by ALLS Director Heide Ibrahim, brought together researchers, Canadian companies, and the Canadian and Québec Photonics ecosystem. The event culminated in the signature of an agreement on a joint training PhD program by INRS Scientific Director Isabelle Delisle and ELI Executive Director Florian Gliksohn, complementing a Collaboration Agreement between ELI and INRS signed in 2024.

“One of main objectives of the visit was to explore ways to further strengthen the already strong engagement between the Canadian research community and ELI. The potential for future cooperation is huge and needs a framework that goes beyond individual projects and fosters real continuity in how we do science together,” says Florian Gliksohn. As part of the visit, a meeting was held with major Canadian funding agencies, hosted by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, to discuss shared interests and opportunities. “The technical capability in Canadian ultrafast science from coast to coast and at ELI complement each other and collaboration at this level will accelerate the innovation we envision,“ says Steve MacLean, physicist, former astronaut and president of the Canadian Space Agency and now co-chair of the governance board of the National Laser facility ALLS.

The visit also featured an evening hosted by the Czech and Hungarian Embassies in Ottawa during which Paul Corkum, one of the founding fathers of attosecond science, delivered a lecture outlining the extraordinary development and potential of laser science. His talk was introduced by an overview of the history of laser science by Albert Stolow, from the University of Ottawa.

The visit concluded with meetings at the University of Waterloo, and the Perimeter Institute in the presence of Donna Strickland, Nobel Laureate in Physics in 2018. “ELI’s visit was a great opportunity to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Donna Strickland´s demonstration of the Chirped Pulse Amplification technique,“ says Joe Sanderson, Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo.

Such engagements are central for ELI’s mission to form lasting relationships with the international scientific community not just as users, but as collaborators in shaping the next chapter of high-intensity laser science. The personal connections and institutional momentum built during the visit point to a promising cooperation.