FAQs | National Ignition Facility & Photon Science

What is NIF?

The National Ignition Facility (NIF), located at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory near San Francisco, is the world’s highest-energy laser. NIF’s 192 powerful laser beams, housed in a 10-story building the size of 3 football fields, can deliver more than 2 million joules of ultraviolet laser energy in billionth-of-a-second pulses onto a target about the size of a pencil eraser. NIF became operational in March 2009.

What is NIF used for?

NIF enables scientists to create extreme states of matter, including temperatures of 100 million degrees and pressures that exceed 100 billion times Earth’s atmosphere. Experiments conducted on NIF make significant contributions to national and global security, could help pave the way to practical fusion energy, and further the nation’s leadership in basic science and technology and economic competitiveness.

How much did NIF cost?

The total cost for NIF including development, vendors, capital, installation, and commissioning was about $3.5 billion.

How does NIF advance national security?

As a cornerstone of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)’s Stockpile Stewardship Program, NIF scientists conduct experiments necessary to ensure America’s nuclear weapons stockpile remains safe, secure, and reliable without underground testing. NIF is the only NNSA facility with the potential to duplicate all the phenomena that occur in the heart of a modern nuclear device.

How does NIF advance basic science?

NIF provides unique experimental opportunities to enhance our understanding of the universe by creating the same states of high-energy-density matter that exist in the centers of planets, stars, and other celestial objects. For example, with NIF, we can “explore” planets by duplicating the extreme conditions found in their interiors.

How does NIF advance energy security?

Ignition experiments at NIF are advancing the science toward the eventual use of fusion as a safe, clean, and virtually unlimited energy source.

How much power and energy do NIF’s 192 beams produce?

On Dec. 5, 2022, an experiment at NIF made history by producing 3.15 megajoules (MJ) of fusion energy from 2.05 MJ of laser energy delivered to the target, thus achieving fusion ignition for the first time in a laboratory setting. Since then, several more experiments have achieved ignition, including one on Feb. 12, 2024, when NIF's 192 lasers delivered 2.2 MJ of laser energy to the target, resulting in its highest fusion energy yield to date of 5.2 MJ and a target gain of about 2.34.

Who uses NIF?

NIF users include researchers from Department of Energy national laboratories, universities, and many other U.S. and foreign research centers.

What is ignition?

Ignition occurs when the energy liberated from the extreme heating and compression of the NIF fusion fuel equals or is greater than the amount of energy delivered to the target to start the fusion reactions—more energy out than in. Achieving ignition is a key element in NIF’s mission of advancing stockpile stewardship and high energy density science. Ignition will further the science of using inertial confinement fusion as a safe, clean source of energy. For definitions of other terms used in fusion and nuclear science, see the Glossary

What are ignition experiments?

NIF ignition experiments use a centimeter-sized cylinder called a hohlraum that contains a capsule filled with deuterium and tritium (hydrogen isotopes) fuel. Laser beams converge at the top and bottom of the 10-meter-diameter Target Chamber and deposit their energy inside the hohlraum. The x rays created when the laser beams strike the hohlraum walls compress the deuterium and tritium fuel, generating helium nuclei (alpha particles) and neutrons (and extreme heat), creating conditions that exist only in the Sun, stars, and a detonating nuclear weapon.

Do NIF experiments present any danger to the public?

No. While the temperatures and pressures involved in creating a controlled fusion reaction are extreme, NIF is designed to make certain that the process is completely safe. The ignition “event” is very small—about the diameter of a human hair—and lasts for only a few trillionths of a second. The energy released is limited by the very small amount of fuel in the target capsule and is completely contained within the Target Chamber and the Target Bay and switchyard shielding.

How much tritium is used in NIF ignition experiments, and what are the hazards?

A NIF target capsule is smaller than a peppercorn and contains less than 1 milligram of tritium, corresponding to about half the amount of radioactivity contained in a tritium-powered “Exit” sign. Even though the amount of tritium is miniscule, state-of-the-art tritium handling capabilities ensure the tritium is properly controlled.

How long will NIF be used for experiments?

NIF is a national user facility that is expected to have a lifetime of at least 30 years.

Can I visit NIF?

Yes. Please visit the Laboratory Tour Program website for more information.

Can I get a job, summer internship, or postdoc position with NIF?

We are always interested in attracting great talent to join our team. You can find information about current job openings, internships, and postdoctoral opportunities here.

Have a question?

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