HEDI – Institute of High Energy Density Physics

Fusion research is regarded worldwide as one of the most promising prospects for a safe, climate-neutral, and sustainably available energy supply. The German Federal Government also assigns it a central strategic role in its High-Tech Agenda Germany. To advance the scientific foundations of this future technology, HZDR established a new institute in June 2026: the HEDI – Institute of High Energy Density Physics is being developed at the Rostock site. It will be funded 90 percent by the federal government and 10 percent by the Free State of Saxony. With an investment of 20 million euros, the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is supporting the construction of a new research facility, which is scheduled for completion by 2030.

Through its HEDI – Institute of High Energy Density Physics, HZDR will participate in the fusion hubs, in particular the Laser Fusion Hub VEGA, established by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) at the end of July 2026. These hubs are intended to bring together expertise from academia and industry in order to advance technologies for future fusion power plants.

Research 

Research under conditions found inside stars

The research focuses on extreme states of matter that otherwise occur only inside planets and stars. Scientists investigate how matter behaves at high pressures ranging from the megabar to the gigabar regime and at temperatures ranging from many thousands to millions of kelvin, as well as the physical processes that take place under these conditions.

In addition to providing deeper insights into the processes occurring inside stars and planets, these findings are crucial for advancing so-called inertial fusion, in which nuclear fusion is initiated by high-intensity laser pulses. A detailed understanding of the highly complex processes involved in the compression and ignition of fusion fuel is essential for the future technological utilization of fusion energy.

Together with international partners, the HEDI – Institute of High Energy Density Physics will focus in particular on investigating the properties of warm dense matter and hot dense matter. The initial scientific priorities include the projects “Mixtures of Light Elements at Megabar Pressures” and “Dynamic Properties of Hot Dense Matter at Gigabar Pressures.”

Divisions / Professorships

Experiment Division

Head: Prof. Dr. Dominik Kraus: “The HEDI – Institute of High Energy Density Physics gives us the opportunity to explore scientific questions that, only a few years ago, were considered barely accessible. Through the unique combination of theoretical expertise, state-of-the-art experiments, and access to international large-scale research facilities, we can unravel the properties of matter under extreme conditions. In doing so, we not only contribute to fundamental research but also generate essential knowledge for the development of future fusion power plants.”

Team: Prof. Dominik Kraus, Dr. Michael Stevenson, Marie-Luise Herbert, Jonas Kuhlke, Björn Lindqvist

Theory Division

Head: Sen.-Prof. Dr. Ronald Redmer: “The major challenges of fusion research can only be addressed through a deep understanding of the properties of matter under extreme conditions. HEDI provides the scientific foundation needed to answer precisely these questions. Together with our national and international partners, we will conduct fundamental research at the highest level in Rostock.”

Team: Sen.-Prof. Ronald Redmer, Dr. Martin Preising, Dr. Moyassar Meshhal, Dr. Argha Roy, Dr. Uwe Kleinschmidt

Applied High Energy Density Physics Division

The division head is expected to be appointed in 2027

Project management HEDI: Dr. Eva-Maria Brouwer

Team assistance HEDI: Christina Rozmarin

Early-Career Researcher Development

With the HEDI – Institute of High Energy Density Physics and the High Energy Density Initiative, an attractive environment for the education and development of highly qualified scientists and specialists is being created in close cooperation with the University of Rostock. In the future, students will benefit from even closer integration into ongoing research projects and from new opportunities in teaching, internships, and doctoral research.

PhD Research Topics

• Behavior of complex mixtures under conditions found inside planets
• Calculation of opacity for radiation transport in fusion plasmas
• Design, execution, and analysis of laser-driven dynamic compression experiments in the HEDI laboratories and at the European XFEL
• Design, execution, and analysis of X-ray scattering experiments on dense plasmas at the European XFEL

Collaborations

Internationally connected for tomorrow’s energy technologies

HEDI works closely with the European XFEL in Schenefeld and with other partners in Germany and abroad. In addition, the HEDI – Institute of High Energy Density Physics is participating in the “Fusion 2040” funding program of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), which aims to advance the development of a fusion power plant in Germany. HEDI is already collaborating with the fusion company Marvel Fusion, which is pursuing laser-based nuclear fusion as a future source of energy.

Selected Collaboration Partners

• University of Rostock
• European XFEL
• SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, USA
• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA
• Marvel Fusion
• Focused Energy

Selected Publications

• D. Kraus et al., The structure of liquid carbon elucidated by in situ X-ray diffraction, Nature 642, 351 (2025)
• H. Rauer et al., The PLATO mission, Experimental Astronomy 59, 26 (2025)
• J. Vorberger et al., Roadmap for warm dense matter research, Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 68 (2026) 073501
• L. Andriambariarijaona et al., Observation of a mixed close-packed structure in superionic water, Nature Communications 17, 374 (2026)
• M. Bethkenhagen et al., Ab initio description of warm dense matter applied to the physics of giant planets, Living Reviews in Computational Astrophysics 12, 4 (2026)
• D. S. Bespalov et al., Momentum-Resolved X-Ray Thomson Scattering Benchmark of Electronic-Response Models in Warm Dense Aluminium, Physical Review Letters 136, 245102 (2026)
• A. Bergermann et al., Equation of state and electronic transport properties of dense liquid hydrogen, Physics of Plasmas 33, 023901 (2026)
• D. Kraus et al., Warm dense matter studies with X-ray free-electron lasers, Nature Reviews Physics 8, 27-39 (2026)
• B. Heuser et al., Recovery of ultrasmall nanodiamonds from plastics shock-compressed to pressures around 100 GPa, Diamond and Related Materials 169, 114091 (2026)

High Energy Density Initiative

To significantly advance the scientific foundations of fusion research, the University of Rostock and HZDR are pooling their expertise in high energy density physics. On June 18, 2026, in the presence of Manuela Schwesig, Minister-President of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and Michael Kretschmer, Minister-President of Saxony, as well as other representatives from politics, academia, and industry, they established the High Energy Density Initiative (HEDI).

Under the umbrella of this joint initiative, the HEDI – Institute of High Energy Density Physics is being established and developed as one of HZDR’s eleven institutes.

Symbolic Founding of HEDI: Michael Zimmermann, Michael Kretschmer, Elizabeth Prommer, Manuela Schwesig, Sebastian M. Schmidt (from left to right).

Image: HZDR/K. Zheynova           

Contact Persons

Prof. Dominik Kraus
Tel.: +49 381 498 6930 I E-Mail: D.Kraus@hzdr.de
Albert-Einstein-Str. 25
18059 Rostock

Sen.-Prof. Dr. Ronald Redmer
Tel.: +49 381 498 6910 I E-Mail: r.redmer@hzdr.de
Albert-Einstein-Str. 25
18059 Rostock