Graduate Program

Guide to Graduate Studies at LLE

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The LLE Graduate Experience

Research at the Highest Level

As a graduate student at LLE, you’ll participate in research at the highest level with access to world-class laser facilities, high-performance computing, and a community of more than 200 researchers. Because our scientific staff focuses primarily on advancing research, they have time to work closely with you, offering mentorship and collaboration.

The lab’s multidisciplinary environment connects you with internationally recognized experts across diverse, interrelated fields, enriching your graduate experience and expanding your opportunities.

Academic & Technical Guidance

You’ll earn your degree through one of the University of Rochester’s partnering graduate programs. With over twenty LLE research scientists who hold joint appointments in these departments, there is an LLE academic advisor to guide you through the program’s requirements.

In addition to your academic advisor, you’ll be paired with a technical mentor who will provide day-to-day guidance as you pursue your research.

Communication Skill-Building

In this program, you will develop the skills to share your research with the scientific community through presentations and publications. Your mentor will work closely with you to strengthen your communication abilities and provide valuable feedback along the way.

As you progress in your research, you will publish first‑author papers in internationally recognized journals and present at one to two conferences each year, gaining recognition and experience as a researcher.

Where to Begin

Start the process by applying to one of the partnering graduate schools at the University of Rochester (listed below). Applications to the academic departments begin in the fall, with admissions in the spring and enrollment in the fall of the following year.

Many of these departments have admitted student visits in the month of February, which provide prospective graduate students the opportunity to visit the University of Rochester. These trips are an excellent time to meet potential mentors, visit LLE, and learn about potential research opportunities.

Sample Timeline

A year-by-year snapshot of how your journey may look like as a graduate student at URochester with a research position at LLE.

Prior to Graduate School

Fall: Apply to a URochester graduate school in a partnering department.

Winter: Attend prospective student visit with partnering department, visit LLE, and make contact with potential LLE mentors.

Spring: Accept graduate school offer. Apply for a summer internship to get acquainted with research at LLE.

Summer: Many students will work with their potential LLE mentor in a summer internship prior to starting graduate school.

Year 1

Fall-Spring: Each department differs slightly in their requirements. Generally, year 1 students will be fully committed to classes in their respective department.

Winter: Confirm your interest in a research position with an LLE mentor and work with your mentor to apply for a Horton Fellowship.

Spring: LLE confirms your summer research internship.

Summer: Perform research while learning about your mentor, research group, and LLE to ensure there is a good match.

Year 2

Fall: New Horton Fellowships are announced. Horton Fellowships provide up to five years of research funding.

Fall-Spring: Students generally spend 75% of their time in class and 25% of their time doing research at LLE, but stay connected to the research group at LLE. Renew your Horton Fellowship each spring.

Summer: Conduct research at LLE.

Years 3-6

Fall: Take a qualifying exam based on your department’s requirements.

Years 3-6: Conduct research at LLE. Nearly all graduate students complete their PHD within six years.

Spring: Annual renewal of Horton Fellowships up to five years.

All graduate students at LLE receive full funding to conduct their research, including full tuition coverage and a generous annual stipend. Many students are also awarded the prestigious five-year Horton Fellowship beginning in their second year, which provides one of the most competitive support packages in the nation.

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Areas of Research

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AI, Machine Learning, & High-Performance Computing

As a graduate student, you’ll harness the power of advanced computational tools to tackle some of the most complex challenges in science and engineering. Your work will involve developing and applying machine learning algorithms to analyze large datasets, optimize laser experiments, and model intricate physical systems.

High-Energy-Density Physics

High-Energy-Density Physics (HEDP) explores matter under extreme conditions, typically at pressures exceeding 1 Mbar (about one million times atmospheric pressure). This interdisciplinary area intersects condensed matter physics, nuclear physics, astrophysics, and plasma physics, providing insights into phenomena ranging from the cores of giant planets to the interiors of stars. You’ll engage in experiments on the OMEGA Laser Facility, theoretical work, and computer simulations, contributing to advancements in inertial confinement fusion, stockpile stewardship, and our understanding of astrophysical processes.

ICF/IFE

As a graduate student researching Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) and Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE), you’ll explore the science of achieving controlled nuclear fusion by rapidly compressing and heating small fuel targets. You’ll design and analyze experiments at LLE’s the state-of-the-art OMEGA Laser Facility, investigating how high-powered lasers can ignite fusion reactions and exploring the conditions needed to make fusion a viable energy source. You’ll have opportunities for both developing and using advanced radiation-hydrodynamic simulation tools that run on some of the fastest super-computers in the world. ICF research at LLE not only advances fundamental fusion science but also supports stockpile stewardship programs and the pursuit of clean, sustainable fusion energy, offering you the opportunity to be at the forefront of this transformative field.

Laser Science and Technology

Here, you’ll work with some of the most advanced laser systems in the world. Your research will involve designing, developing, and optimizing laser systems and the technologies that support them. By combining engineering with fundamental science, you’ll contribute to innovations that are pushing the boundaries of laser energy, power, and pulse duration. Applications in the field range from fusion energy to national security, while gaining hands-on experience with state-of-the-art laser technologies.

Laser-Plasma Interactions

You’ll explore the fascinating world of plasmas and how to combined laser, optics, and plasmas to advance grand challenge applications, like particle acceleration, advanced source development across the electromagnetic spectrum, and fusion. You’ll help design and conduct experiments on laser facilities, with opportunities for hands-on laboratory work, and develop theoretical models or simulations to how laser-beams can efficiently be used to advance science. Your research will directly contribute to breakthroughs in inertial confinement fusion, stockpile stewardship, and fundamental plasma science, preparing you for a future at the forefront of scientific discovery.

Find a Mentor, Step by Step

Explore Mentors Early
During the graduate application process, mentors are open to discussions, helping you explore options and narrow your research interests. Consider whether you want to focus on experiments, modeling, or theory, and which research areas excite you most. Browse the list of LLE mentors across the different research areas to find your best fit.
Reach Out Before Acceptance
Share your interests with potential mentors early to start understanding their research groups and available opportunities.
Connect After Acceptance
Once accepted into a University of Rochester graduate program, contact your preferred mentors to discuss specific projects and research directions. Ask about summer internship opportunities before your first year to familiarize yourself with your potential mentor and their group.
First-Year Engagement
During your first year, focus on coursework while continuing to explore research groups. By winter, you should have identified a mentor and research project and apply for the Horton Fellowship.
Solidify Research Group
By the end of your first summer, aim to have a confirmed research group at LLE, establishing the foundation for your graduate research career.

Start a conversation with the mentor who matches your research interests.

Mentor Directory