Developed in collaboration with the Fresnel Institute, the Chartreuse experimental laser platform is located in the UO2 laboratory within the Fuel Studies Department.
It is used to subject samples to heat treatments at very high temperatures (up to 3000 °C) on a laboratory scale; it offers precise control over the thermal gradients and temporal dynamics in relation to the application in question.
Several applications are possible:
- Simulation of thermal transients,
- Measurement of thermal and physical properties of materials on millimetric and micrometric scales,
- Micro-machining.
In the future, the LECA-STAR licensed nuclear facility (INB) will be equipped with a similar platform, but designed to operate in a nuclear environment.
It will be used to conduct tests on irradiated materials.