This summer, LLE will bring together pioneers, partners, and policymakers to celebrate three eras of innovation: the OMEGA 60 laser system that has driven experiments for decades, the chirped-pulse amplification breakthrough that revolutionized high‑power lasers and earned the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics, and LLE’s sustained leadership as a global center for laser‑driven discovery, innovation, and education.
Morning: Invited talks and expert panels celebrating three decades of OMEGA 60’s contributions to fusion research, high-energy-density science
Afternoon: Invited talks, a panel discussion, and facility tour
Morning: Hear from Nobel Laureates Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou, as well as leading voices in laser science and technology
Afternoon: Student poster session and facility tour
Morning: Join us in the tent for remarks from federal and elected officials, the University President, and leaders within the laser community
Afternoon: Celebration picnic on the lawn
Current as of June 3, 2026. Agenda subject to change.
30 Years of the OMEGA 60 Laser System
| Time | Session / Activity | Speaker | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00–9:00 AM | Registration & Continental Breakfast | ||
| 9:00–9:30 AM | Welcome | Christopher Deeney, PhD, Director, LLE | Seminar Room |
| 9:30–9:45 AM | LLE: A Research Pillar of the University | Stephen Dewhurst, PhD, VP for Research, University of Rochester | Seminar Room |
| 9:50–10:20 AM | Invited Talk from NNSA | TBD | Seminar Room |
| Break | |||
| 10:30–11:15 AM | OMEGA’s Enduring Impact at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | Vincent Tang, PhD, Principal Associate Director, NIF & Photon Science, LLNL | Seminar Room |
| 11:15–11:45 AM | Decades of Collaborative Science with CEA & OMEGA 60 | Alexis Casner, PhD, HED/ICF Project Manager, CEA DAM | Seminar Room |
| Noon–1:00 PM | Participant Lunch | ||
| 1:00–1:30 PM | OMEGA’s Role in the High-Energy-Density Community | Carolyn Kuranz, PhD, Director, CHEDRAL, University of Michigan | Seminar Room |
| 1:30–2:00 PM | OMEGA’s Role in Fusion | Mike Campbell, PhD, President, MCM Consultants | Seminar Room |
| 2:00–2:30 PM | MIT and LLE: A 30-Year Partnership | Johan Frenje, PhD, Senior Research Scientist & HEDP Division Head, MIT PSFC | Seminar Room |
| 2:30–2:40 PM | Break | ||
| 2:45–3:45 PM | Panel: Student to Scientist
Developing a Workforce Through OMEGA Experiments
|
Alison Christopherson, Maggie Huff, Katarina Nichols, David Bishel, Channing Huntington | Seminar Room |
| 4:00–5:00 PM | Facility Tours | Seminar Room |
40 Years of Chirped-Pulse Amplification
| Time | Session / Activity | Speaker | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00–9:00 AM | Registration & Continental Breakfast | Seminar Room | |
| 9:00–9:15 AM | Welcome | Christopher Deeney, PhD, Director, LLE | Seminar Room |
| 9:15–9:20 AM | Opening Remarks — Significance of CPA | Sarah Mangelsdorf, PhD, President, University of Rochester | Seminar Room |
| 9:30–10:30 AM | Keynote: A Few Picoseconds That Changed Science | Donna Strickland, PhD, University of Waterloo and Gérard Mourou, PhD, École Polytechnique | Seminar Room |
| 10:30–11:00 AM | Q&A with Nobel Laureates | Seminar Room | |
| 11:00–11:10 AM | Break | ||
| 11:10–11:30 AM | Opportunities in Intense Ultrafast Lasers: Reaching for the Brightest Light Virtual | Phil Bucksbaum, PhD, Stanford University | Seminar Room |
| 11:30–11:50 AM | Invited Talk: Petawatt Lasers in the UK | TBD | Seminar Room |
| 11:50 AM–12:10 PM | Extreme Light Infrastructure: Capabilities and Achievements with CPA Lasers | Leonida Gizzi, PhD, Extreme Light Infrastructure | Seminar Room |
| 12:10–1:15 PM | Participant Lunch | Seminar Room | |
| 1:30–2:00 PM | Open / Networking | ||
| 2:00–2:40 PM | NSF ZEUS and Ultra-Intense Laser-Based Science in the U.S. | Louise Willingale, PhD, Director, NSF ZEUS, University of Michigan | Seminar Room |
| 2:40–3:00 PM | NSF OPAL: The Next Generation Experimental User Facility | Jon Zuegel, PhD, Laser Materials & Technology, LLE | Seminar Room |
| 3:00–3:05 PM | Closing Remarks | Christopher Deeney, PhD, Director, LLE | Seminar Room |
| 3:15–3:30 PM | Mural Celebration: A Tribute to the Nobel Laureates | Christopher Deeney, PhD, Director, LLE | Atrium |
| 3:30–5:30 PM | Student Poster Session | Atrium | |
| 4:00–5:00 PM | Guided Facility Tours | Atrium |
50 Years of LLE
| Time | Session / Activity | Speaker | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00–9:00 AM | Refreshments | Outdoor Tent | |
| 9:00–9:30 AM | Welcome | Christopher Deeney, PhD, Director, LLE and Sarah Mangelsdorf, PhD, President, University of Rochester | Outdoor Tent |
| 9:30–9:45 AM | The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory & LLE Connection | Kim Budil, PhD, Director, LLNL | Outdoor Tent |
| 9:45–11:00 AM | Remarks by Federal, State, Local & Industry Representatives | Congressman Joe Morelle Additional speakers TBD |
Outdoor Tent |
| 11:00 AM | Closing Remarks | Christopher Deeney, PhD, Director, LLE | Outdoor Tent |
| 11:15–11:30 AM | Ribbon Cutting: The Next 50 Years of LLE | Christopher Deeney, PhD, Director, LLE | East Entrance |
| 11:30–11:50 AM | Ribbon Cutting: MTW OPAL Target Chamber | Christopher Deeney, PhD, Director, LLE | West End |
| Noon–2:00 PM | Facility Tours | West Lobby | |
| 4:00–7:00 PM | Celebration Picnic | Back Yard |
* Schedule subject to change. TBD speakers to be confirmed.
Email Alison Arnold at aarno@lle.rochester.edu.
