From 14 to 18 September 2026, Prague hosted the 38th edition of the European Conference on Laser Interaction with Matter (ECLIM 2026), one of Europe’s long-standing scientific meetings focused on the interaction of intense laser radiation with matter. With a history dating back to 1966, this year’s conference also featured the active participation and organisational involvement of FNSPE CTU.
The programme covered a broad range of current research topics, including laser-driven inertial fusion, laser particle acceleration, strong-field physics and QED, attosecond physics, X-ray sources, and plasma diagnostics. Invited speakers included researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, European XFEL, ELI ERIC, and leading European and Asian universities. Dedicated sessions also focused on the HiPER+ project and the use of high-power lasers in fusion energy research.
FNSPE CTU was directly involved in organising the conference. Martin Jirka, Ondřej Klimo and Radka Mika Havlíková from the Department of Laser Physics and Photonics served on the Local Organising Committee, while Ondřej Klimo was also a member of the International Scientific Committee. The Faculty was represented in the scientific programme by Jan Vábek, who presented multiscale modelling of high-harmonic generation in gases.
The main part of the conference took place at the SOLID21 building of the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague, while the Friday programme continued at ELI Beamlines, including visits to its experimental facilities. ECLIM 2026 was organised with the support of the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, ELI ERIC and FNSPE CTU, with Amplitude as a conference sponsor.
Photo: Petr Cieslar, FZU
