# Bjorn Manuel Hegelich

> Bjorn Manuel Hegelich is an Austin-based experimental physicist, founder of TAU Systems and co-founder and chief scientist of Tachyon Industrial. His research career spans Munich, Los Alamos National Laboratory, UT Austin and South Korea, with work on laser-driven particle acceleration and the translation of laboratory systems into practical research and industrial tools.

- **Role:** Co-founder and Chief Scientist at Tachyon Industrial; Founder at TAU Systems; Associate Professor of Physics at The University of Texas at Austin
- **Organizations:** Tachyon Industrial, TAU Systems, The University of Texas at Austin, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology
- **Education:** B.Sc. (Vordiplom), as listed in UT faculty biography, University of Siegen, B.Sc. (Hons), Napier University Edinburgh, M.Sc. (Diplom), Georg August University Göttingen / Laser-Laboratorium Göttingen, Ph.D., Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich / Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics
- **Known for:** Senior author on the 2023 nanoparticle-assisted wakefield accelerator research reaching approximately 10 GeV over 10 cm., Co-inventor with Constantin Aniculaesei on a nanoparticle-generation patent application licensed exclusively by TAU from UT Austin., Co-author of the 2025 Physical Review Letters paper on more than 1,000-fold gain in a laser-plasma-accelerator-driven free-electron laser.

## Career timeline

- **1997** — Attended a lecture about laser-driven particle acceleration that shaped his research interests.
- **2002** — Completed doctorate in Munich.
- **2003-2012** — Worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory, becoming a team leader in high-intensity laser research.
- **2010** — Visiting fellow at LMU’s Center for Advanced Studies, collaborating with Dietrich Habs.
- **2012** — Joined UT Austin as an associate professor of physics.
- **2018-2019** — Associate director at the Center for Relativistic Laser Science and professor at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology.
- **2021** — Founded TAU Systems.
- **2023** — Senior author of research demonstrating approximately 10 GeV electron energies in a 10 cm acceleration chamber.
- **2025** — Led TAU during its $20 million extended seed funding announcement and commercial electron-beam demonstration.
- **2026** — Public seminar biography identifies him as co-founder and chief scientist of Tachyon Industrial; TAU lists him as founder and Jerome Paye as CEO.

## Achievements

- Senior author on the 2023 nanoparticle-assisted wakefield accelerator research reaching approximately 10 GeV over 10 cm.
- Co-inventor with Constantin Aniculaesei on a nanoparticle-generation patent application licensed exclusively by TAU from UT Austin.
- Co-author of the 2025 Physical Review Letters paper on more than 1,000-fold gain in a laser-plasma-accelerator-driven free-electron laser.
- Founded TAU Systems to commercialize laser-driven accelerator technology.
- September 2026 GSI seminar abstract reports greater than 20 GeV electrons in joint ELI-NP experiments; this is a seminar-reported result.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — GSI seminar biography identifies him as Tachyon Industrial co-founder and chief scientist; his abstract reports >20 GeV electron experiments and plans involving the Texas Petawatt Laser.
- **2026-04** — TAU and Berkeley Lab announced more than eight hours of continuous laser-plasma-accelerator-driven free-electron laser operation without manual adjustment.
- **2025-11** — TAU announced electron-beam production from its commercial laser-powered accelerator.
- **2025-07** — Published interview discussed team leadership, delegation and a Romanian experimental campaign.

## Links

- Website: https://web2.ph.utexas.edu/~hegelichgroup/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjorn-manuel-hegelich-b96a2954

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/bjorn-manuel-hegelich
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Last updated: 2026-10-20