News

LLNL Experts Help Advance Inertial Fusion Energy at U.S. IFE Conference

Researchers from LLNL joined their counterparts from national laboratories, universities, industry, and government in a conference to discuss the progress, challenges, and priorities for moving toward an inertial fusion energy future in the U.S.

Target Breakthrough Enabled Fusion Record at NIF

A major innovation in target design, a process known as continuous gradient doping, has contributed to a series of successful fusion ignition experiments at NIF.

LLNL Partners with Inertia to Develop Fusion Energy Technology

Scientists from LLNL are partnering with San Francisco Bay Area startup Inertia Enterprises Inc. to advance fusion laser technology, as well as inertial fusion target manufacturing and designs.

NNSA and LLNL Advance Laser Upgrade for Nuclear Stockpile Mission Ahead of Schedule

The Energy Department and the NNSA have approved a path forward for a project that will increase the laser energy available to NIF at LLNL.

Livermore Institute for Fusion Technology Honored for Innovation

The East Bay Economic Development Alliance honored LLNL with a 2026 East Bay Innovation Award in the Catalyst Category for the Livermore Institute for Fusion Technology (LIFT).

Optics Education Summit Targets a Growing Need for Laser and Photonics Experts

At a summit organized by NIF&PS leaders, educators from around the country discussed steps they can take to help grow the pipeline of skilled optics and photonics workers needed to feed increasing demand.

New Report Finds Diagnostic Innovation Critical for Fusion Energy Commercialization

Diagnostic innovation will be key to converting plasma science into commercial fusion power, according to a report sponsored by the DOE’s Office of Science’s Fusion Energy Sciences program.

NIF and JLF User Groups Celebrate Milestones and New Capabilities

New laser shaping and diagnostic tools, record fusion achievements, and growing industry partnerships that enhance national security and Discovery Science research were highlighted at the 2026 NIF and Jupiter Laser Facility User Groups meeting.

Big Ideas Lab Podcast Zooms in on Tiny Targets

This episode of the Big Ideas Lab podcast focuses on the tiny targets used at NIF. These are marvels of design, engineering and precision manufacturing that are no bigger than a pencil eraser.

LIFT Director Tammy Ma Featured in Washington Post’s 'Post Next' 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

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.

LLNL and Fraunhofer ILT Partner on Next-Generation Fusion Lasers

LLNL and Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT) are joining forces to cross-validate their sophisticated laser simulation models.

LLNL Conducts Milestone Nuclear Survivability Experiment at NIF

LLNL conducted an experiment at NIF to assess the ability of U.S. nuclear weapons to survive encounters with adversary missile defenses and reach their targets, demonstrating a new capability that advances stockpile modernization.

Vincent Tang Returns to Lead NIF&PS Directorate

LLNL Director Kim Budil named Vincent Tang as the principal associate director (PAD) to lead the NIF and Photon Science directorate.

Using AI for Real-Time Control of Rapid-Fire Lasers

In a major step forward for HED science and inertial fusion energy, LLNL researchers and their colleagues demonstrated how machine learning and AI could exert instantaneous control of a rapid-fire laser system.

LLNL Receives Energy Department Funding for Fusion Energy Research

The U.S. Department of Energy announced $134 million in funding for two programs designed to secure U.S. leadership in emerging fusion technologies and innovation: FIRE and INFUSE.

Molecular Simulations Reveal Why Graphite Outshines Diamond

A study published in Nature Communications reveals that graphite can spontaneously nucleate. Understanding the fine lines that separate graphite from diamond from liquid molten carbon is critical for modeling experiments at NIF.

LLNL Physicist Receives Edward Teller Award

LLNL physicist Hye-Sook Park has been awarded the Edward Teller Award for 2025 by the American Nuclear Society.

New Book Documents Optics Innovations That Were Integral to Ignition

Just published: In Optic Technologies Enabling Fusion Ignition, veteran LLNL optics and laser experts tell the comprehensive story of how they were able to push the performance of those optics beyond what many thought was possible.

LLNL Researchers Employed an AI-Driven Model to Predict Fusion Ignition Shot

LLNL researchers employed an AI-driven model that used deep learning and a “cognitive simulation” framework to successfully predict fusion ignition days ahead of the historic 2022 shot at NIF, according to a new study in Science.