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Aerial view of the Laboratory for Laser Energetics.

About LLE

Home to the world’s largest lasers in an academic setting.

Omega Laser Facility

 

Vision

To be the leading academic institution advancing laser technologies, fusion, and high-energy-density science at scale.

 

Mission

What Drives Our Work?

Our work is largely driven by a commitment to advancing national security and energy independence. We also aim to deepen our understanding of the universe. A majority of our experiments, programs, and innovations are guided by these goals, ensuring that our work has both immediate impact and long-term benefits.

We pursue these priorities by studying:

  • Laboratory Astrophysics – exploring the physics of stars and galaxies.

  • Matter at Extreme Conditions – investigating how materials behave under the most intense pressures and temperatures.

  • Fusion – advancing the science that ensures the reliability and safety of the nation’s nuclear stockpile, and pioneering a clean, virtually limitless energy source for the future.

  • Frontier Science – pushing the boundaries of discovery with cutting-edge experiments and technologies.

Black and white image of Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou.

Nobel Prize-Winning Research

In 2018, our alumna Donna Strickland and former faculty member Gérard Mourou were recognized for their revolutionary work on chirped-pulse amplification (CPA), a technique that has transformed laser science and opened doors to new medical, scientific, and commercial applications.

Quick Facts

450

employees

120+

students per year

300,000+

square feet of space

2000

experiments per year

800+

users from 70+ institutions, including 50+ universities

80%

of the high-energy-density physics experiments for NNSA

100+

papers per year

Join the LLE Team

Browse the open positions and apply today.

Careers