Sergei V. Bulanov


Sergei Vladimirovich Bulanov, is a Russian plasma physicist. He received the 2016 Hannes Alfvén Prize for "contributions to the development of large-scale next-step devices in high-temperature plasma physics research".

Life and career

Bulanov studied theoretical astrophysics and plasma physics at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology in the 1960s. He was a student of and Vitaly Ginzburg.
He used to work with the National Institute for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology in Kyoto, Japan and at the A. M. Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Scientific contributions

Bulanov investigated the idea of relativistic mirrors for generating X-rays, whereby a laser beam is reflected by plasma waves and is split up by nonlinear interactions to form a thin layer of relativistic electrons. They were intended to be an alternative to synchrotron radiation sources and free electron lasers, and were used in the development of compact radiation sources and for basic research in quantum electrodynamics. Bulanov has also worked on particle acceleration using laser plasmas and developed a laser ion accelerator intended for cancer therapy.