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.

HEDS Fellow Patricia Cho Probes Cosmic Mysteries

For Patricia Cho, an experimental physicist who is conducting opacity measurement experiments at NIF, a High Energy Density Science Center fellowship allowed her to branch out from her Ph.D. work to explore new areas of astrophysics.

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.

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.

Science & Technology Review: Beyond Ignition

The July/August 2025 edition of LLNL's Science & Technology Review magazine examines the many facets of ignition research in the era beyond ignition. Read more ...

TARDIS Experiments Boost NIF Discovery Science and Stockpile Stewardship

On the morning of July 10, researchers completed an experiment that marked the 200th use of NIF’s workhorse TARDIS experimental platform.

Taking the Temperature of Plutonium

In an ambitious five-year project, LLNL researchers and their colleagues have developed an experimental platform designed to determine the internal energy of plutonium under pressures of 10 million Earth atmospheres or more.

ELI and LLNL Strengthen Collaboration

LLNL and the Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC (ELI) have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that builds on their existing strategic collaboration and reflects the commitment of both to advancing scientific research and laser innovation.

Big Ideas Lab Podcast: How AI Is Reshaping Science at LLNL

As the world moves from the Information Age to the Data Age, AI is not only revolutionizing society—it’s fundamentally transforming how LLNL researchers approach science and played a key role in the achievement of fusion ignition.

LLNL Hosts Workshop to Shape the Future of Diode-Pumped Laser Technology

LLNL recently hosted a workshop to assemble the world’s top experts in diode-pumped solid-state laser (DPSSL) systems, a key technology for the future of inertial fusion research and energy.

New NIF Diagnostic Tool Will Make ‘Movies’ of Phase Changes in Materials

In a significant advance in high-pressure physics, LLNL researchers developed a tool to capture real-time sequential images of phase changes in materials. This new diagnostic instrument—dubbed FIDDLE—is shedding light on the nanosecond dynamics of matter under extreme conditions.

Big Ideas Lab Podcast Takes on Tech Spinoffs and Partnerships

The Big Ideas Lab podcast takes a deep dive into how the Innovation and Partnerships Office (IPO) facilitates tech transfer at LLNL and some of the most impactful success stories, including one startup inspired by research into protecting NIF's optical components from laser damage.

Big Ideas Lab Podcast Explores the Future of Fusion Energy

In the latest episode of “The Big Ideas Lab” podcast, learn the next steps needed to turn the dream of fusion energy into reality.

Prominence of LLNL Laser Science on Display at NIF-JLF User Groups Meeting

The progress made to capitalize on and sustain NIF’s capabilities, and the scientific advancements made during JLF’s first full year of operations following a major refurbishment, were highlighted during this year’s NIF and JLF User Groups Meeting.

Introducing El Capitan

One of the world’s most powerful and energy-efficient supercomputers helps scientists safeguard the U.S. nuclear stockpile. Read more ...

Showing How Plasma Electrons Can Enhance Fusion Reaction Rates

A NIF Discovery Science campaign is hoping to demonstrate that free electrons in a plasma can help positively charged atomic nuclei “tunnel” through the electrostatic barrier that keeps them apart and fuse.

Ensuring Material Survivability

NIF's increasing shot yields—including the achievement of fusion ignition—enable materials and components to be tested for nuclear survivability at hotter and more intense conditions.

Big Ideas Lab Podcast Takes on NIF Sustainment

LLNL is home to NIF, the only lab on earth where fusion ignition has been achieved and repeated. The latest episode of the Big Ideas podcast tackles the work necessary to keep such a facility running. Listen on Apple or Spotify.