The NIF laser ignition driver: development from 1960 to 2023

Mary L. Spaeth; Kenneth R. Manes

doi:10.1117/12.2688587

24 November 2023 The NIF laser ignition driver: development from 1960 to 2023

Mary L. Spaeth, Kenneth R. Manes

Proceedings Volume PC12726, Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials 2023; PC1272601 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2688587
Event: SPIE Laser Damage, 2023, Dublin/Livermore, California, United States

Abstract

During the more than 60 years from the invention of the laser to demonstration of ignition on NIF, scientists, engineers and technicians at LLNL developed incrementally larger and more energetic/powerful laser systems designed for inertial confinement fusion. Each step forward brought new understanding of issues and new concepts for their solution. A continual effort to solve new and often surprising incidents of optical damage supported this evolution. Insights into problems of scale learned from previous lasers, including Argus (1977), Shiva (1978), Nova (1984) and Beamlet (1995) were combined successfully in NIF to provide this platform for the recent ignition demonstration. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC52-07NA27344; LLNL-ABS-849703

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Mary L. Spaeth and Kenneth R. Manes "The NIF laser ignition driver: development from 1960 to 2023", Proc. SPIE PC12726, Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials 2023, PC1272601 (24 November 2023); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2688587

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