Bulanov proposed the idea of relativistic mirrors for generating X-rays, whereby a laser beam is reflected by plasma waves and is split up by nonlinear interactions to form a thin layer of relativistic electrons. They were intended to be an alternative to synchrotron radiation sources and free electron lasers, and were used in the development of compact radiation sources and for basic research in quantum electrodynamics (e.g. electron-positron pair production in vacuum). Bulanov has also worked on particle acceleration using laser plasmas[7][8][9] and he is a co-author of an idea that proposed using the laser accelerated ions for cancer therapy.