Jean-Paul Booth is a Research Director at CNRS, based since 2000 at the Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas, École Polytechnique, France. He holds a PhD from the University of Oxford and began his CNRS career at Grenoble University. From 2006 to 2008, he was Technical Director at Lam Research in California, focusing on sensor systems for plasma etch reactors.

His research focuses on the physics and chemistry of low-pressure plasmas in reactive gases, their interactions with surfaces, and applications in microelectronics. He is currently working on the rigorous experimental validation of plasma models in diatomic gases.

He has developed and applied advanced optical diagnostics (such as laser-induced fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy) and innovative electrical probes to measure reactive species and charged particles. He also designs practical sensors for in-situ monitoring of industrial plasma processes. His work includes detailed studies of radiofrequency plasmas, RF breakdown, electromagnetic effects, and voltage waveform control to tailor ion and electron behavior.

• Physics and chemistry of electrical discharges in reactive gases and their interaction with surfaces.
• Development of novel diagnostic techniques for reactive plasmas : optical techniques for measuring reactive species densities and kinetics, electric fields, and electrical plasma measurements.
• Laser-induced fluorescence, Ion Flux Probes, cavity ring-down spectroscopy, broad-band absorption spectroscopy, microwave resonance techniques for electron density measurements.
• Development of sensors for in-situ control of industrial plasma processes.
• Physics of capacitively-coupled radiofrequency plasmas : tailored voltage waveform excitation for control of ion and electron fluxes and energy distributions.
• Gas breakdown in RF fields.