Applied plasma physics
Applied plasma physics is an extremely wide field, with applications ranging from high power plasma torches used for cutting and melting to production of structures on the nano-scale.
It has been estimated that as much as 20% of the world’s GDP directly or indirectly involves plasma technology (semiconductors, plasma vapor deposition (PVD) and etching, solar cells, surface coatings and polymerization treatment etc). Plasma medicine, plasma biology, and plasma environmental physics are other emerging subjects of rapidly growing interest and impact.
Plasma diagnostics development is both part of applied plasma physics and an integrated part of all research in space and plasma physics. Measurement techniques that have been developed include photographic methods, spectroscopy, microwave probing, and numerous probe methods for electric and magnetic fields.
Most of current research at the department in this area is focused on development of surface coating techniques with high power magnetron sputtering.