How LLNL launched ‘The Age of Ignition’ at NIF
How did LLNL make history at the National Ignition Facility by achieving fusion ignition on Dec. 5, 2022?
Our special expanded report, The Age of Ignition, explains how this was accomplished, how it helps strengthen national security, and what it means for science and energy.
The Big Ideas Lab Podcast Learns to Create a Supernova on Earth
Feb. 12, 2026-
Here on Earth, scientists are exploring astrophysical phenomena in a special lab — NIF. This one-of-a-kind program, called NIF Discovery Science, is the focus of the latest episode of the Big Ideas Lab podcast.
Lab Physicist Wins Sylvie Jacquemot Early Career Prize
Feb. 9, 2026-
LLNL scientist Elizabeth Grace won the 2026 European Physical Society-Plasma Physics Division Sylvie Jacquemot Early Career Prize for groundbreaking work in developing a single-shot laser imaging technique.
LIFT Director Tammy Ma Featured in Washington Post’s 'Post Next' 2026
Feb. 9, 2026-
The Washington Post profiled Tammy Ma, director of LLNL's Livermore Institute for Fusion Technology, as part of the newspaper's "Post Next" list of 50 people who will define the stories of 2026. Read more ...
When Lasers Cross: LLNL Finds a Brighter Way to Measure Plasma
Jan. 29, 2026-
LLNL scientists have tested a new crossed-laser technique that measures plasma conditions in a single shot, with signals more than a billion times stronger than traditional Thomson scattering.
Fusion Power Associates Honors NIF Target Innovator Abbas Nikroo
Jan. 27, 2026-
Abbas Nikroo, deputy director for physics integration at LLNL's National Ignition Facility, received the 2025 Distinguished Career Award by Fusion Power Associates.
Measuring Nuclear Reactions Found Inside Stars
Jan. 14, 2026-
NIF's capabilities enabled LLNL radiochemistry experts to make the first experimental measurements of nuclear reactions in high energy density plasma environments similar to conditions found in stars and thermonuclear explosions.
LLNL and Fraunhofer ILT Partner on Next-Generation Fusion Lasers
Dec. 19, 2025-
LLNL and Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT) are joining forces to cross-validate their sophisticated laser simulation models.
Where Beam Paths and Career Paths Intersect
Dec. 17, 2025-
As a laser safety officer, Hayden Johnson knows the location and handling protocols for hundreds of lasers across the Lab. Here's why serving in this role is especially fulfilling.
