Fantz Ursel

Fantz Ursel is a Professor and academic leader in plasma physics, holding dual roles as Division Head of ITER Technology & Diagnostics at the Max-Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) and Head of the Experimental Plasma Physics Group at the University of Augsburg's Institute for Physics. His research focuses on fusion energy, plasma technology, and advanced diagnostics for negative ion sources critical to ITER and DEMO projects. He has pioneered developments in radio-frequency-driven plasma sources and Cs-free alternatives for negative ion production.

Education and career milestones include a PhD in low-temperature plasma physics from the University of Stuttgart (1996), followed by research roles at Stuttgart and IPP. He has held visiting professorships at NIFS, Japan (2006), and serves on international committees such as the DFG Grants Committee and EUROfusion’s Heating and Current Drive Project Board.

His research interests span plasma diagnostics, beam extraction optimization, and plasma modeling, with notable contributions to plasma surface interactions and fusion technology. Awards include the Erwin Schrödinger Prize (2006) and the International Symposium Award (2014) for innovations in negative ion physics. He is an active contributor to fusion initiatives through roles in the German Physical Society (DPG) and the European Physics Society (EPS).

Ursel’s work integrates experimental and computational approaches, including 3D PIC simulations and code benchmarking (e.g., NINJA, ONIX). His publications address challenges in plasma expansion dynamics, beam characterization, and ITER-compatible technologies.