José Tito Mendonça is a research professor at IPFN (Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear) and a retired professor at IST (Instituto Superior Técnico), University of Lisbon. He was head of the physics department, leader of the GoLP (Group of Lasers and Plasmas) and director of the Euratom-IST Association. He organized several new groups and laboratories, such as the magnetic fusion, multi-TeraWatt laser and MOT laboratories. He published pioneering work on photon acceleration, time refraction, optical cascades, stochastic acceleration, neutrino–plasma interactions and twisted plasma waves. His current interests include ultracold matter, photon condensation, laser accelerators, axion–plasma coupling, quantum vacuums and quantum turbulence.
