Ion beams are essential tools for materials research focusing on basic interaction processes and application-oriented technology. Experiments relevant for atomic and plasma physics: use the heaviest ions for stringent tests of QED in the strong field limit, for detailed studies of the correlated many-body dynamics in ultra-short and extremely intense electromagnetic fields and for the determination of fundamental atomic and nuclear properties. Plasma physics concentrates on high energy density experiments in exploiting both intense heavy-ion and laser beams.

The picture shows nanowires created by etching tracks into a polymer template with energetic heavy ions and subsequently electrochemically filling the tracks with a metal. Due to the enormous surface of millions of nanowires, the resulting structure constitutes a miniaturized device suitable for sensor applications on the micrometer scale.

For the programme topic 'Ions', the ion trap facility HITRAP (Highly-charged Ion Trap) and the Petawatt laser PHELIX (Petawatt High-Energy Laser for Heavy Ion Experiments) and the materials science branch at GSI (M-branch) will be fully available. A special emphasis will be given to the development of PNI-relevant installations at FAIR (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research) for experiments with highly-charged ions and antiprotons.