On 11 February 2026, the CRC ATLAS 1667 had the pleasure of welcoming Prof. Jean-Pierre van Helden and Dr. Ibrahim Sadiek from Ruhr University Bochum for an visit in Stuttgart. As part of the ATLAS Academy special guest lecture series, they gave an inspiring talk, providing insights into their research of novel techniques for plasma spectroscopy.
Low-temperature reactive molecular plasmas are essential in processes such as microelectronics manufacturing and require precise knowledge of species concentrations, temperatures, quantum-state populations, and reaction kinetics.
The lecture showcased advances in infrared and terahertz spectroscopy using optical frequency combs, combining broad bandwidth with high spectral resolution for simultaneous multi-species detection.
In addition, terahertz absorption spectroscopy with quantum cascade lasers was introduced as a compact and industry-friendly method for measuring ground-state atomic oxygen densities, with potential applications in VLEO flow environment diagnostics.
Together with Dr. Stefan Löhle and the team of ATLAS Project A04, Prof. van Helden and Dr. Sadiek discussed and explored contact-less diagnostics for low-temperature non-equilibrium plasmas with relevance for both spaceflight and industrial applications.
We sincerely thank our guests for the stimulating discussions and look forward to continued collaboration at the interface of spectroscopy, plasma physics, and space technology.
