Research at MBI requires interdisciplinarity in the scientific staff, flexibility in the definition and organisation of scientific projects, and a longer term scientific infrastructure. MBI has chosen to concentrate some of its main experimental re-sources in the application laboratories, providing flexible, versatile and cost-effective access to expensive, state-of-the-art equipment for internal researchers. In addition, the application laboratories are particularly suited for MBI’s various access activities and collaboration offers extended to external partners from science and industry.

The scientific infrastructure generally consists of short pulse and high-field laser systems with their experimental periphery; their development and upgrade is subject of one infrastructure project, while the activities focusing on access and service are the subject of another. The available laser systems may be classified as

• short pulse sources, covering the spectral range from FIR to X-rays with pulse durations down to a few femtoseconds
• ultra-high intensity lasers
• special laser systems for applications

The application laboratories concentrate most of these laser systems in dedi-cated building space; they are among the backbones of the scientific infrastructure. They also provide a platform for efficient feedback between the laser research projects in research focus 1 and the scientific applications in research foci 2 and 3.