Fusion Science for High-Yield Applications
Explore inertial confinement fusion research and the role of direct drive in achieving high yields. Read more about fusion science at LLE.
LLE In Focus
Issue Archive
Explore past issues of LLE In Focus to read about the research, people, and discoveries that have shaped our story. From major experiments to student contributions, the archive offers a window into the science and collaboration at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics.
Issue 9
Simulation Impossible
Inside the Computational Science Infrastructure Driving LLE’s Research Much of the most important work at LLE happens not just in a lab but on a computer, where plasma behaviors are…
The Opportunity of a Lifetime
Students Gain Rare Access to Some of the Countryʼs Leading Science Facilities For most undergraduates, national laboratories exist only as names on research papers or distant career possibilities. This past…
Beam Smoothing for Picket-Pulse Fusion Experiments
How Spectral Dispersion and Timing Improve Irradiation Uniformity on OMEGA The OMEGA Laser System is designed to deliver laser energy as uniformly as possible to a spherical target using 60…
US IFE Conference Focuses a National Effort
More than 225 members of the US inertial fusion energy (IFE) community gathered in the Washington, DC, area on March 22–27 for the second annual US IFE Conference, formerly IFE-STAR.…
Issue 8
Liquid Crystal Plasma Mirrors: A Breakthrough for NSF OPAL
Researchers at LLE and The Ohio State University (OSU) have teamed together to develop renewable, liquid crystal plasma mirrors (LCPMs) to enhance the temporal contrast of the 25-PW pulses planned…
A Gentle Puff with a Big Impact: A New System Advances Cryogenic Target Technology
A new gas puffer system (GPS) is transforming how fusion scientists fill cryogenic targets, turning precise whiffs of deuterium gas into liquid fuel and opening the door to next-generation “wetted-foam”…
FLUX: A Next-Generation Broadband Laser for Direct-Drive Fusion Experiments
A Next-Generation Broadband Laser for Direct-Drive Fusion Experiments A New Laser Concept to Mitigate Laser–Plasma Instabilities Achieving fusion in the laboratory has proven a grand challenge of science. At its…
The BHx Streak Tube: Enabling the Next Generation of Streak Cameras
Over the last several years, scientists and engineers at LLE have been developing the BHx streak tube, a cutting-edge instrument designed to capture changes in light on a trillionth-of-a-second timescale.…
Enabling Ultraclean Pulses from Kilojoule-Class Lasers
NSF OPAL is a proposed future user facility at LLE that is intended to enable scientists to create and study matter under extreme conditions [1]. To study these conditions, NSF…
New Mirror Technology for NSF OPAL
A future NSF OPAL laser user facility will require extremely large all-reflective optics estimated to weigh up to 1000 pounds using traditional solid substrates. Large beams are required to prevent…
Issue 7
Powering Discovery Through Academic Partnerships
December 1, 2025
Scientific discovery thrives when expertise and resources come together. At the University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE), collaboration is not just a practice—it is the foundation for advancing…
Chirped-Pulse Amplification at 40
October 29, 2025
From Student Research to Global Impact This year marks the fortieth anniversary of chirped-pulse amplification (CPA), a groundbreaking laser technology first developed at LLE in the 1980s. Invented by then-graduate…
Fusion Student Delegation
October 17, 2025
Dear Reader, This summer, I joined the Fusion Student Delegation (FuSD) to better understand fusion energy policy and the systems that shape its development. My background is technical—my research focuses…
Building Fusion Leaders
October 17, 2025
IFE-SURE Undergraduates Connect In Nation’s Capitol The Inertial Fusion Energy Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (IFE-SURE) is a new Department of Energy (DOE)-funded workforce development initiative launched by the IFE Science…
NSF OPAL: Where Frontier Science Meets the Future Workforce
October 17, 2025
Currently under design, the U.S. National Science Foundation Optical Parametric Amplifier Line (NSF OPAL) laser facility will be the world’s most powerful laser system to explore the frontiers of science—unlocking…
OLUG at 16
October 17, 2025
Annual Workshop Strengthens Collaboration This past May, LLE hosted the sixteenth Omega Laser Facility Users Group (OLUG) Workshop, which brought together over 140 participants from 38 institutions worldwide, with 110…
Shaping Futures: The LLE–LLNL Collaboration’s Lasting Impact
October 17, 2025
When Dayne Fratanduono was a graduate student at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, he spent long hours at the Omega Laser Facility gaining invaluable hands-on experience in the challenging work…
LLE’s Industry Partners Drive Progress Through Collaboration
October 17, 2025
Since its founding in 1970, LLE has been at the forefront of cutting-edge research, education, and technological innovation in the field of laser science. Over the years, LLE scientists, engineers,…
Issue 6
Inertial Confinement Fusion Scaling and Future Designs
May 15, 2025
The achievement of ignition in a laboratory setting has renewed interest in defining the requirements for a future high-gain inertial confinement fusion (ICF) facility. Current ignition experiments rely on an…
Balancing Physics Expertise with Machine Learning: Deepening Our Understanding of Inertial Confinement Fusion
May 15, 2025
Researchers at LLE are harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to revolutionize inertial confinement fusion (ICF) research. By integrating computational techniques with advanced plasma physics,…
AI-Driven Optimization for Direct-Drive ICF Implosions
May 15, 2025
Integrating Machine Learning Techniques for Enhanced Performance Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) holds promise as a powerful energy source capable of producing bursts of energy measured in hundreds of megajoules. It…
Rochester-Area Collaboration Drives Global Scientific Progress: LLE and RIT Look to Unlock the Secrets of Extreme Matter Using AI/ML
May 15, 2025
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics recognized the inventors of neural networks, highlighting the revolutionary impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) across scientific disciplines. AI is proving…
Maintaining Environmental Precision for Advanced Laser Research
May 15, 2025
The Laboratory for Laser Energetics is home to some of the world’s most sophisticated laser systems, and the LLE Facilities Group plays a critical role in ensuring optimal conditions for…