Three ANR projects awarded to the Cold Plasma Team in 2026: A remarkable collective achievement!

# Three ANR Projects Awarded to the LPP Cold Plasmas Team in 2026: A Remarkable Collective Achievement!

The Cold Plasma team at the Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas (LPP - UMR 7648) has achieved a remarkable success this year, with three projects selected under the 2026 Generic Call for Proposals of the French National Research Agency (ANR). Led or supported at the LPP by Jean-Paul Booth, Svetlana Starikovskaia and Olivier Guaitella, these projects highlight the team's scientific excellence and the diversity of its research, spanning fundamental plasma physics, technological innovation, and major energy and environmental challenges.

• HURRICANE: An innovative plasma reactor concept for more efficient gas conversion
  • Project coordinated by Erik Johnson (LPICM), with Jean-Paul Booth and Olivier Guaitella (LPP) - Duration: 42 months
  • Cold plasmas offer promising opportunities for converting stable molecules, such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), into higher-value chemical compounds. However, the efficiency of these processes is often limited by reverse reactions, in which the species produced recombine before they can be extracted from the reactor.
  • The HURRICANE project (Highly Useful Rotating-Wall Reactor Capitalizing on Adsorption on Novel Materials) proposes an original approach to overcoming this limitation. The concept relies on a rotating surface that selectively captures chemical species generated in a plasma and transports them to a second chamber, where they are released and collected. This approach could enable more efficient separation of carbon monoxide (CO) produced by CO₂ dissociation, opening up new possibilities for converting this greenhouse gas into valuable chemical products.
  • Coordinated by Erik Johnson (LPICM, École polytechnique), the project brings together three laboratories with complementary expertise: LPICM for reactor design, IRCELYON for the development of adsorbing surfaces, and LPP for gas-phase diagnostics.
  • At LPP, the research will be carried out by Jean-Paul Booth, Olivier Guaitella and Garrett Curley. Their work will focus on developing spectroscopic diagnostics to measure chemical species concentrations and quantitatively assess the performance of the new reactor. The project will also support a PhD student jointly supervised by LPP and LPICM.
• SPIDER: Controlling detonation initiation using nanosecond plasmas
  • Project coordinated by Omar Dounia (CERFACS), with Svetlana Starikovskaia (LPP) - Duration: 48 months
  • The SPIDER project (Plasma Shchelkin sPiral: Initiation of DEtonation by nanosecond dischaRge) addresses a fundamental question in combustion science: how can detonation be initiated and controlled using ultrashort electrical discharges?
  • Plasmas generated by electrical pulses lasting only a few nanoseconds can rapidly deposit energy and produce reactive species capable of influencing ignition mechanisms and flame propagation.
  • By combining these discharges with a Shchelkin spiral, a device designed to promote flame acceleration, the project aims to improve our understanding of the mechanisms governing detonation initiation and to identify the conditions under which they can be controlled.
  • Coordinated by CERFACS (Toulouse), SPIDER also brings together the Pprime Institute (Poitiers) and LPP, where the research will be conducted with Svetlana Starikovskaia. The project will notably support the recruitment of a PhD student at LPP.
• CO2-PLASMA: Unravelling plasma chemistry to improve CO₂ conversion
  • Project coordinated by Olivier Guaitella (LPP) - Duration: 48 months
  • Converting CO₂ into useful molecules, particularly hydrocarbons or synthetic fuels, represents a promising research direction for supporting the energy transition. Cold plasmas offer interesting possibilities for achieving these transformations, but the underlying chemical mechanisms remain insufficiently understood.
  • The CO2-PLASMA project (CO₂ Plasma studied by Laser Absorption Spectroscopy for Multispecies Analysis) aims to develop new optical diagnostic methods capable of monitoring the chemical species involved in these reactions directly and without disturbing the plasma. Particular attention will be paid to highly reactive radicals, such as H, OH, O and CH₃, which play a key role in CO₂ conversion mechanisms.
  • To address this challenge, researchers will use advanced laser spectroscopy techniques, including frequency-comb spectroscopy, as well as ultraviolet radiation from the SOLEIL synchrotron. These measurements will be combined with investigations of electrical discharges and catalytic surfaces.
  • Coordinated by Olivier Guaitella at LPP, the project brings together the Institut Lumière Matière (Lyon), the Institut de Physique de Rennes, and the DESIRS beamline at the SOLEIL synchrotron, in collaboration with Instituto Superior Técnico (Lisbon) for kinetic modelling.
  • The ultimate objective is to gain a deeper understanding of CO₂ plasma chemistry and contribute to the development of more efficient and selective plasma-catalysis processes.

A Strong recognition of the LPP cold plasmas team

These three successful projects under the ANR 2026 call demonstrate the scientific dynamism and excellence of the LPP Cold Plasmas team, as well as its ability to bring together complementary expertise through national and international collaborations. From the development of innovative reactors to the investigation of combustion mechanisms and advanced optical diagnostics, these projects illustrate the breadth of research conducted at LPP and its potential to address major scientific and technological challenges. They will also contribute to training the next generation of researchers, notably through the recruitment of PhD students within the HURRICANE and SPIDER projects. This triple success highlights the scientific standing of the LPP Cold Plasmas team and opens up exciting new research opportunities for the years ahead.