Ionized Media & Laser Division (IMLD)

Ionized Media & Laser Division (IMLD)

The Ionized Media & Lasers (IML) Division includes about sixty permanent researchers as well as engineers and technicians working on plasmas, lasers and processes applied to materials. Like any research unit, the division’s main objective is to work in its field of expertise to develop national capacities in the fields of study, expertise and engineering, understanding and mastery of science and technology and their transfer in all possible business sectors of different activity.

Through its openness to the socio-economic world, it also works to provide the best possible service to society, businesses and universities to improve their skills and expertise in the topics that are the focus of its expertise.

Research activities at the division are multidisciplinary and are firmly centered on the basic sciences and the various engineering sciences. The research teams bring together physicists, chemists, electronics engineers and materials specialists who jointly carry out research and development work capable of responding to the current issues encountered by both the advancement of these disciplines and the needs that express themselves in the world of users through partnerships.

The IML Division is responsible for carrying out research and conducting studies on the fundamental, theoretical and experimental levels, in relation to the development of materials processing and innovative products and systems including the industrial applications by laser system processes, plasmas discharges and thermal spraying. The Division focuses on the following business fields:

• Life science and ecology
• Energy
• Industrial Technologies
• Modeling and numerical simulation
• Safety and security

The research and development (R&D) actions are carried out through the FNR (National Research Fund) and PNR (National Research Program) projects using plasma and laser technologies with main focuses on the following themes:

• Processes for the synthesis of thin-film materials by cold plasmas at low pressure (PVD, CVD, PLD…)
• Design and manufacture of plasma reactors for surface treatment under vacuum and/or atmospheric pressure.
• Thermal spray material synthesis processes (HVOF, Arc-Fil, Cold Spray…)
• Tests and characterizations of materials (Mechanical, chemical, structural, corrosion, electrical, optical, etc.)
• Laser material treatment processes (marking, welding, cutting, 3D manufacturing, etc.) Characterization of multi-layer media by ultrasound
• Laser-matter interaction (plasma created by laser and LIBS)
• Quality control of materials by LIBS technique
• Laser system technologies LIDAR techniques
• The development of ion and plasma sources at atmospheric pressure
• Plasma diagnostic techniques
• Physico-chemical characterization of materials
• Modeling and prediction of material properties.
• Fluid flow modeling and heat and mass transfer.

Division’s Director

Dr. El-Hachemi AMARA