Lubin Initiates Laser–Matter Interaction Studies
Pre-1970: University of Rochester Assistant Professor Moshe J. Lubin initiates laser-matter inter...
Early Lasers
Pre-1970: The earliest lasers at the University of Rochester emphasized short-pulse (<100-ps) ... 
ALPHA Laser
Pre-1970: The ALPHA Laser operated in the Hopeman Engineering Building on the University of Roche... 
Nd:Glass Disk Amplifier
Pre-1970: Many different types and sizes of Nd:glass rod amplifiers were developed and tested in ... 
Q-Machine
Pre-1970: Early Rochester experiments emphasized a variety of different laser–plasma applicatio... 
Laser Fusion
Pre 1970: Laser fusion became a focus of the Rochester work in the late 1960s. Classified meeting... 
LLE Founded
1970: With the support of University of Rochester president and respected physicist Robert L. Spr... 
Construction of the DELTA Laser in Gavett Hall
1971: In 1971, LLE began building DELTA, the first multibeam laser at the Laboratory for Laser En... 
Fusion by Laser
1971: In June 1971, almost one year after the formal establishment of the Laboratory for Laser En... 
Laser–Matter Interaction Workshop
1971: At a laser–matter interaction workshop held at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), LL... 
LLE Grows
1972: By 1972, LLE had grown to 40 faculty and staff with a budget of $1 million. Shown here i... 
The Laser Fusion Feasibility Project
1972: The Laser Fusion Feasibility Project (LFFP) was established at LLE. It was the first privat... 
DELTA Target Chamber
1973: This vacuum chamber was used for a variety of early laser-matter interaction and implosion ... 
Numerical Modeling of Laser-Produced Plasmas
1973: In an article titled "Numerical Modeling of Laser Produced Plasmas," Edward Goldman, who he... 
Glass Laser Amplifier
1974: Several laser-amplifier concepts were investigated in the 1970s at LLE, including this 90-m... 
Hydrodynamic Instabilities in Laser-Driven Fusion
1974: "Linear Stability Analysis of Laser-driven Spherical Implosions," published in Physica... 
Construction of 24-Beam OMEGA to be Used in Support of the LFFP
1975: On 11 July 1975, the New York State Legislature passed a supplemental appropriation th... 
Special Atomic Energy Commission
1975: The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Special Laser-Fusion Advisory Panel issued its final repo... 
Congressman Frank J. Horton Spotlights LLE
1975: Congressman Frank J. Horton's weekly column issued 25 March 1975 highlighted ...one of... 
First Detailed Measurements Using X-Ray Line Emission
1975: LLE made the first detailed measurements of ablation and preheat using x-ray line emission.... 
First Harmonic and Subharmonic Emission Measurements
1975: The first comprehensive measurements of harmonic and subharmonic emission from spherical ta... 
Cornerstone Ceremony
1976: The cornerstone-laying ceremony for the new LLE building took place on 2 April 1976. G... 
First Use of Nd:Phosphate Glass in a Large Nd:Glass Laser
1976: LLE's Materials Group led the development of a high-gain phosphate laser glass with a low n... 
Laser-Compression Studies with Neon-Filled Glass Microballoons
1976: The paper "Laser Compression Studies with Neon-Filled Glass Microballoons" by B. Yaakobi an... 
Glass Development Laser
1977: To verify the ability of the original 24-beam OMEGA laser to reach its specified performanc... 
Direct Compression Measurement of Imploded Targets
1977: The first direct measurement of compressed fuel density in a laser-imploded target using x-... 
Laser-Driven Compression Efficiency and Wavelength
1977: On 7 March 1977, Physical Review Letters published a paper by R. L. McCrory ... 
First Shot Fired on ZETA
1978: U.S. Congressman Frank Horton fired the first shot on ZETA, a laser comprising the first si... 
DT Implosion Experiments
1979: LLE conducted a series of DT implosion experiments on the six-beam ZETA laser with all shot... 
National Laser Users Facility (NLUF) Established
1979: The National Laser Users Facility (NLUF) was established in 1979 to provide access to LLE's... 
Ultrahigh-Power Lasers Workshop
1979: A workshop was held at LLE to discuss applications of ultrahigh-power lasers in areas beyon... 
24-Beam OMEGA Construction
1979: The LLE staff was augmented during the OMEGA design and construction project with engineers... 
OMEGA 24-Beam Laser System Complete
1980: In January 1980, the construction of the 24-beam OMEGA uniform-irradiation facility was com... 
Patent For Frequency-Tripling Technique
1980: On 1 May 1980, a patent application was filed for a frequency-tripling technique inven... 
Third-Harmonic Generation
1980: Efficient third-harmonic generation was demonstrated at LLE on the Glass Development Laser ... 
Frequency Tripling in Use
1981: In 1981, initial papers were published on LLE's use of frequency tripling. LLE's third-harm... 
LLE-Developed Technology Transferred to Private Sector
1981: Jay M. Eastman, the chief engineer in charge of building the 24-beam laser system and the L... 
McCrory Appointed LLE Director
1983: After a nationwide search, Robert L. McCrory, head of LLE's Theoretical Division, was named... 
First Six Beams Converted
1983: The first six beams of OMEGA were converted and started operating in the ultraviolet. LLE a... 
Spider-Silk Target Mount
1983: The development of spider-silk target mounting by Steve Noyes of LLE was published for the ... 
LLE Celebrates 10,000th Target Shot
1984: Four years into its productive life, OMEGA reached a milestone with the firing of its 10,00... 
National Laser Users Facility Program Publication
1984: A paper entitled "Experimental Facility for Nanosecond Time-Resolved Low Angle X-Ray Diffra... 
OMEGA Frequency Conversion Completed
1985: Full conversion of the 24-beam OMEGA laser to 351-nm operation was completed on time and wi... 
Chirped-Pulse Amplification
1985: A paper published in Optics Communications by Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou ... 
Spherical-Target Compression
1985: Spherical-target compression experiments demonstrated high neutron yield and high fuel dens... 
Progress in Laser Fusion
1986: In August 1986, the cover of Scientific American showed the diagnostics inside th... 
Review Recognizes LLE Research
1986: In March, 1986 the National Academy of Sciences Review of the Department of Energy's Inerti... 
High-Density Compression
1987: The first cryogenic target system was installed on the OMEGA chamber in support of achievin... 
OMEGA Experiments Show 200x Liquid-DT Density
1988: In 1988, with an adapted cryogenic system and newly developed beam smoothing, LLE demonstra... 
Phase Conversion with Distributed Phase Plates
1988: An alternative to phase correcting a wavefront involves modifying the laser beam's coherenc... 
Diagnosing High Density Using Fusion
1988: The DT fuel density in high-compression experiments at LLE was measured using the "knock-on... 
Smoothing by Spectral Dispersion Invented
1989: LLE scientists first pioneered smoothing by spectral dispersion (SSD) in 1989. This beam-sm... 
National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Review Recommends OMEGA Upgrade
1989: In June 1989, Congress mandated a National Academy of Sciences review of the Inertial Confi... 
Summer High School Student Program Started
1989: In July 1989, LLE held its first Summer High School Student Program. The program challenges... 
LLE Receives R&D Award
1989: LLE's Optical Materials Group received an R&D 100 Award from Research and Developm... 
OMEGA Upgrade Preliminary Design
1989: The preliminary design of the OMEGA system upgrade was completed in October 1989. Drawin... 
OMEGA Upgrade Approved
1990: During FY90, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) carried out two independent reviews of the... 
FPAC Final Report
1990: The Fusion Policy Advisory Committee (FPAC) review panel was formed by the U.S. Secretary o... 
SSD Phase-Modulator Development
1990: Andrea Huberty, undergraduate student, is shown making adjustments to transmission line fee... 
Single-Segment Amplifier
1991: LLE developed a 20-cm-diam disk amplifier as the final amplifier for the 60-beam upgrade of... 
LLE Computing Facility Augmented
1991: LLE's Laser Computing Facility (LCF) was significantly augmented this year with the install... 
OMEGA-24 Fires Its Last Shot
Dr. Robert McCrory and Terleta "T" Willis 
Cryogenic Target Handling System
1992: General Atomics, in collaboration with LLE and LANL, began work on designing a new cryogeni... 
Laser Construction Begins
1993: In 1993, building modifications were completed and laser construction began. The OMEGA upgr... 
Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research
1993: In recognition of the roles played by their respective teams in the innovation of laser-bea... 
Inferring Camera with 40-ps Time Resolution
1993: Framing-camera image showing implosion of glass microballoon with intentionally applied dri... 
OMEGA 60 Upgrade Continues
1994: In January 1994, the control room began operations, and in April 1994, the entire driver wa... 
60-beam OMEGA Completed
1995: LLE completed construction of the current 60-beam OMEGA Laser System in 1995, on time and o... 
First Shots on 60-beam OMEGA
1995: On 19 April 1995, the first 60-beam target test shot was taken on OMEGA. This shot ini... 
Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research
1995: In recognition of their outstanding theoretical work, computational analysis, and experime... 
World-Record Laser-Fusion Neutron Yield Recorded
1996: On 19 January 1996, an OMEGA direct-drive high-yield target attained the highest recorded ... 
OMEGA 60 Beam Becomes Fully Operational
1996: Beginning in FY96, OMEGA began to provide shots for indirect drive and other high-energy-de... 
LLE Receives Popular Mechanics Award
LLE received the Popular Mechanics Design and Engineering Award for the OMEGA Laser System... 
Hohlraum Targets
1996: Hohlraum targets were used during a proof-of-principle series of indirect-drive experiments... 
Multidimensional Hydrodynamics Code DRACO
1997: LLE began to develop a new multidimensional hydrodynamics code DRACO, which is now a w... 
Indirect-Drive and Stockpile Stewardship Support
1997: The final focusing parabola for the LLNL Petawatt Laser is prepared for the last photometri... 
High-Bandwidth Frequency Tripling
1997: LLE implemented high-bandwidth frequency tripling on the OMEGA laser. Figure demonstrati... 
Multibeam-Phasing Configuration
1997: The first experiments using a "NIF-like multibeam phasing" configuration on hohlraum target... 
Positron Production in Multiphoton Scattering
1997: "Positron Production in Multiphoton Light-by-Light Scattering" was published in Physic... 
High-Density X-Ray Diagnostics
1998: New high-density x-ray diagnostics were implemented, giving the ability to measure cold, co... 
NIF Optics
1998: LLE's Optical Manufacturing Group (OMAN) developed and implemented an optical-coating proce... 
High-Density Charged-Particle Diagnostics
1998: In collaboration with MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC), LLE began the developm... 
Saturation Growth in Planar Targets
1998: A paper authored by V. A. Smalyuk et al. was published in Physical Review Letters... 
LLE CEA Collaboration
1999: LLE began a long-standing collaboration with Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique Division o... 
Cryogenic Target Handling System
1999: LLE integrated the OMEGA Cryogenic Target Handling System into the OMEGA facility. (Perm... 
Target Designs for NIF
1999: LLE developed moderate-gain, direct-drive designs for the NIF.... 
2-D Smoothing by SSD
1999: A two-dimensional smoothing by spectral dispersion (2-D SSD) system was installed on OMEGA ... 
Moving Cryostat
1999: The moving cryostat maintains a target at a constant temperature to layer the DT ice and tr... 
NIF Deformable Mirror
1999: The NIF deformable mirror will allow wavefront correction of the NIF beam when th... 
First Cryogenic Implosions of D2-filled Targets
2000: The first cryogenic implosions of D2-filled targets using the new Cryogenic Target Handling... 
Polarization Smoothing Implemented
2000: Polarization smoothing using distributed polarization rotators (DPR's) was implemented on O... 
OMEGA Extended Performance Laser Proposed
2001: In October 2001, LLE proposed a major enhancement to the OMEGA Laser System to include four... 
Cryogenic Target Implosions Continued
2001: With the completion of the improvements to the OMEGA Cryogenic Target Handling System in Au... 
Simulation of Shock Propagation Through Foam
2002: The plot shows the density of a shock propagating through a foam, simulated by the adaptive... 
New Planar Cryo Target Positioner
2002: A new target positioner (planar cryo) was deployed on OMEGA to measure the properties of co... 
Optical Parametric Chirped-Pulse Amplification
2002: A key element of future ultrahigh-intensity lasers is a stable, high-efficiency laser sourc... 
Designs for Direct-Drive Ignition Experiments on the NIF
2002: LLE scientists made significant progress in developing experimental designs for direct-driv... 
Deformable Mirror Assembly
2002: LLE is contracted to coat, assemble, and acceptance test deformable mirrors for use on the ... 
Funding and Construction of OMEGA EP Begins
2003: A major enhancement to the OMEGA Laser System, OMEGA EP (extended performance), included fo... 
OMEGA EP Amplifiers
2003: Work continues on the design of the OMEGA EP amplifiers. The LLE-designed amplifier configu... 
Plasma Electrode Pockels Cell
2004: Based on NIF technology and developed with the assistance of LLNL scientists, a new plasma-... 
Defense Programs Award of Excellence
2004: On 18 August 2004, Capt. Steven J. Loucks (USN Ret.), LLE Deputy Director and the Dire... 
OMEGA EP Building Construction Completed
2004: The OMEGA EP building construction was completed in December 2004. This facility was comple... 
OMEGA EP Building Dedication
2005: In May 2005, LLE dedicated the Robert L. Sproull Center for Ultra High Intensity Laser Rese... 
Neutron Imaging of Cryogenic D2 Capsules
2005: Neutron images of cryogenic D2-filled imploded capsules were obtained on OMEGA for the firs... 
University Hosts DOE Fusion Science Center
2005: The U.S. Department of Energy chose the University of Rochester to host one of two Fusion S... 
The ROSS Streak Camera
2005: LLE licensed the Rochester Optical Streak System (ROSS) technology to Sydor Instruments, LL... 
National Ignition Campaign Milestone Achieved
2006: Scientists at LLE and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory completed a National Ignit... 
Cryogenic DT Target Experiments
2006: The first direct-drive, ignition-scaled, cryogenic target containing tritium was imploded o... 
Active Shock Breakout (ASBO) Upgrade
2006: A year-long project to upgrade the ASBO diagnostic was completed in April 2006. T... 
LLE Infers 200 mg/cm2 Fuel Areal Density
2007: On 17 April 2007, LLE scientists completed a National Ignition Campaign (NIC) Level-2 ... 
LLE Validates Polar-Direct-Drive for Ignition on the NIF
2007: LLE completed a study using the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in the x-ray-drive configu... 
OMEGA EP Laser Dedication
2008: On 16 May 2008, Dr. Robert McCrory, Vice Provost, Director, and CEO of LLE, along with... 
First Shots Fired on the OMEGA EP Laser System
2008: The OMEGA EP Laser System was completed on time and within budget and initial experiments w... 
LLE Raises the Bar for Short-Pulse Energy on Target
2008: On 16 September 2008, an OMEGA EP beamline irradiates a target with an energy of 1415 ... 
OMAN's Last NIF Polarizer Run
2009: The last of the spare NIF polarizer optics were coated in the 72-inch chamber. Th... 
First Omega Laser Facility Users Group (OLUG) Workshop
2009: The first Omega Laser Facility Users Group Workshop was held, attracting 110 researchers fr... 
Shock-Timing Technique for Ignition Targets at the NIF
2009: LLE, in collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Sandia Nationa... 
LLE Celebrates 40th Anniversary
2010: In 2010, LLE celebrated its 40th year. LLE accomplishments, marked by the innovation and bril... 
Membranes that Respond to Light
2010: Novel gas membranes that demonstrate variable permeability when illuminated with different ... 
DT Fueling of NIF Diagnostic Commissioning Targets
2010: LLE successfully developed and tested a technique to fill room-temperature glass targets wi... 
20,000th Target Shot
2011: In 2011, the 60-beam OMEGA laser conducted its 20,000 target shot (OMEGA S/N 64108 from por... 
New Era of Plasma Nuclear Science Opens on the Omega Laser Facility
2011: LLE ushered in a new frontier of plasma nuclear science at the Omega Laser Facility by meas... 
Magnetized ICF Targets
2011: Various coil designs have been utilized in experiments with magnetized inertial confinement... 
Diagnosing OMEGA EP Pulse Shapes
2011: The heart of the Ultrafast Rochester Optical Streak System (UROSS) cameras used by the Omeg... 
30th Summer High School Research Program Participant Named Intel Semifinalist
2011: In 2011 LLE's Summer Research Program for High School Juniors produced its 30th semifinalis... 
Riccardo Betti Honored with DOE Award
2012: On 21 May 2012 in Washington DC, Dr. Riccardo Betti, Professor and Director of the Fusion S... 
Multi-FM SSD Beam Smoothing on OMEGA EP
2012: With the goal of designing a cryogenic polar-drive ignition platform compatible with existi... 
Ultrafast Optical Parametric Amplifier
2012: A picosecond-pumped ultrafast optical parametric amplifier (UOPA) was deployed on OMEGA EP ... 
Multilayer-Dielectric Diffraction Gratings
2012: Multilayer dielectric (MLD) diffraction gratings, used in OMEGA EP's pulse compressors, mus... 
Solid-State Pockels-Cell Driver Development
2012: To meet the demands of both the OMEGA and OMEGA EP lasers, LLE tests and refines its own de... 
OMEGA Completes Record 25,000 Experiments
2013: On 12 September 2013, the OMEGA Laser System completed a record 25,000 experiments. "The... 
4ω Probe Diagnostic Activated
2013: Shown is the first image obtained with the 4ω probe diagnostic implemented on the OME... 
Implementation of a New Neutron Temporal Diagnostic
2013: The OMEGA neutron temporal diagnostic (NTD) was replaced with a ROSS streak-camera-based sy... 
Neutron Time-of-Flight Detector
2013: Shown here is a new neutron time-of-flight detector A new neutron time-of-flight (nTOF) ... 
A New Type of Coil for Magnetized Plasma Experiments
2013: A new type of coil for magnetized plasma experiments at LLE was designed and fabricated. Th... 
R. L. McCrory Professorship
2014: At an installation ceremony on 3 April 2014 Dr. Robert L. McCrory, University Vice Presiden... 
NIF Polar Drive
2014: In ICF implosions, nonuniformities seeded by both laser-imprint and initial shell-mass pert... 
Isotope Separation System
2014: The Isotope Separation System (ISS) was created to provide a flexible tritium fuel supply a... 
Glancing-Angle Deposition for Distributed Polarization Rotators
2014: The 40-in. coating chamber in the Optical Manufacturing (OMAN) group has been configured to... 
Next-Generation Cryogenic Target
2014: A next-generation cryogenic target was developed that will employ a new mounting stalk that... 
Magnetic Liner Inertial Fusion
2015: The Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) announced a tw... 
Implosions on OMEGA Exceed 50-Gbar Hot-Spot Pressures
2015: Hot-spot pressures greater than 50 Gbar were achieved in direct-drive layered DT cryogenic ... 
Multiple-Pulse Driver Line
2015: The multiple-pulse driver line (MPD) provides on-shot co-propagation of two separate pulse ... 
KBframed 16-Image X-Ray Optic
2015: The next-generation Kirkpatrick–Baez (KB) microscope employs new x-ray optics for use on ... 
Dynamic Compression Sector Laser
2016: LLE developed a 100-J UV laser and Target Area System for the Dynamic Compression Sector (D... 
Physicists Find New Evidence for Helium
2016: Research scientists Marius Adrien Millot (LLNL) and Stephanie Brygoo (CEA-France) are shown... 
Dr. Michael Rosenberg Receives Rosenbluth Award
2016: Dr. Michael Rosenberg was selected to receive the prestigious Marshall Rosenbluth Award for... 
X-Ray Backlighting of Cryogenic Capsule Implosion
2016: A narrowband crystal imaging system was used to perform x-ray radiography of OMEGA cryogeni... 
A New Prototype Stage for Glancing-Angle–Deposition Coatings Research
2016: Optical Manufacturing Process Engineer, John Spaulding, and Coating Operator, Justin Foster... 
Dr. E. Michael Campbell Appointed Laboratory Director
2017: Dr. E. Michael Campbell was named as the new Director of the Laboratory for Laser Energetic... 
Multi-Institutional Effort to Study
2017: The University of Rochester is leading a seven-institution collaboration that promises to s... 
Laser-Driven MagLIF
2017: Sandia National Laboratories and LLE entered into a collaboration to test the scaling of ma... 
Commissioning an X-Ray Detector System for Spectral Analysis of Tritium-Filled Targets
2017: Shown here is Rory Hamilton working on the commissioning of an x-ray detection system An... 
Dynamic Compression Sector Target Area System Installed
2017: Shown here is Senior Manufacturing Engineer Dale Guy (left) and Research Engineer Robert Ea... 
Two Former LLE Researchers win Nobel Prize in Physics
2018: Profs. Donna Strickland and Gérard Mourou were awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics "fo... 
Funding Restored for LLE and ICF Program
2018: On 12 September 2018, Josh Farrelman from the Office of Government and Community Relations ... 
Studying Planetary Magnetic Fields
2018: More than 80% of planets are composed of metallic hydrogen. However, metallic hydrogen is o... 
A New Form of Water Confirmed with Experiments at LLE
2018: On 5 February, the New York Times Science section posted an article featuring an ... 
Omega Demonstrates Best Ignition-Scaled Cryogenic Target Performance To Date
2018: The highest-performing direct-drive cryogenic implosions to date were conducted on the OMEG... 
Tunable OMEGA P9 (TOP9) Platform
2019: "Impact of the Langdon Effect on Crossed-Beam Energy Transfer" was published in the journal... 
Second Line-of-Sight Project
2019: Two new neutron time-of-flight (nTOF) spectrometers were designed and constructed along a c... 
First LaserNetUS Experiment at LLE
2019: As part of the new LaserNetUS program to provide users increased access to unique high-inte... 
Evidence of Superionic Water Published in Nature
2019: Researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory used the Omega Laser Facility to fl... 
Research Conducted at Omega Wins Dawson Award
2019: Research conducted at the Omega Laser Facility by the University of Chicago, University of ... 
Remote Principal Investigator (PI): Bringing the Omega Laser Facility to the PI
2020: To adapt to social distancing, travel restrictions, and other safety measures necessitate... 
The Center for Matter at Atomic Pressures Funded by the National Science Foundation
2020: The Center for Matter at Atomic Pressures (CMAP) was awarded $12.96 million toward resear... 
Patent for LLE Technology Awarded
2020: A patent was awarded for “System and Methods for Spatiotemporal Control of a Laser and La... 
LaserNetUS Receives $18 Million from the U.S. Department of Energy
2020: LaserNetUS received $18 million in funding from the Department of Energy. 
10,000th Shot on the Multi-Terawatt Laser
2020: On May 26, 2020 the Multi-Terawatt (MTW) Laser operational team celebrated their 10,000th laser shot. 
Lubin Initiates Laser–copy
Pre-1970: University of Rochester Assistant Professor Moshe J. Lubin initiates laser-matter i 
