Experiments at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility (NIF) require breathtaking precision. Each of the 192 lasers is focused to a width of a few millimeters to enter a 3-millimeter hole at the top or bottom of a 2-centimeter gold canister known as a hohlraum. As they enter, the beams intersect in plasma and transfer power, a process known as crossed-beam energy transfer (CBET). In designing a NIF inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiment, the scientists precisely tune the beams' wavelengths to balance power via CBET and achieve better symmetry. Small
Fusion Energy#Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory#Energy#High-Energy-Density Science#HPC#Simulation#and Data Science#Lasers and Optical S&T#National Ignition Facility and Photon Science
Technology & InnovationLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory called and the signal and image sciences community answered: The Center for Advanced Signal and Image Sciences (CASIS) hosted their 30th annual workshop at the University of California Livermore Collaboration Center (UCLCC) on June 24-25, setting new records for attendance and technical contributions in the workshop's three-decade history. This year's workshop drew 303 registrants, a 35% increase over 2025 and more than double the attendance of just three years ago, along with around 70 talks and 55 posters spanning eight tracks on a parallel agenda
Fusion EnergyTechnology & Innovation#Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory#Advanced Materials and Manufacturing#Engineering#HPC#Simulation#and Data Science#Lasers and Optical S&T#National Ignition Facility and Photon Science
Technology & InnovationLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
When a high-intensity laser interacts with plasma, the charged particles typically oscillate back and forth like waves on the ocean. But what if the laser itself could twist like a whirlpool? Researchers have now demonstrated a rotating, spring-shaped laser pulse, opening up new possibilities for fusion energy, particle acceleration, astrophysics and beyond. In new research published in Nature Photonics, scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and the University of California, Irvine demonstrated the first high-intensity "light spring" laser. Unlike conventional
Fusion EnergySpace & AstronomyParticle Physics#Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory#Academic Engagement#Advanced Materials and Manufacturing#High-Energy-Density Science#HPC#Simulation#and Data Science#Laboratory Directed Research and Development
Technology & InnovationLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
While quantum computing could be the future, it is currently plagued by finicky hardware. To make the technology practical, researchers must demonstrate that it consistently and continuously works and performs at scale. In a new study, published in Physical Review Letters, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and the Ion Storage Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorado, created a robust process for entangling trapped-ion qubits. The result means better building blocks for ion-based quantum computers. The approach creates a
Technology & Innovation#Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory#Advanced Materials and Manufacturing#computing#HPC#Simulation#and Data Science#Top Story#advanced materials
Technology & InnovationLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
"The history of failure in war can almost be summed up in two words: too late." General Douglas MacArthur's warning underscored the urgency and importance of the first Decision Superiority Summit, hosted this summer by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), where Department of War (DOW) decision makers, scientists, engineers and analysts explored how computer modeling and simulation, artificial intelligence, machine learning and high-performance computing can enable faster, better-informed decisions in the increasingly competitive technological arena of near-peer conflict. "The
Technology & Innovation#Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory#computing#Defense#Government#HPC#Simulation#and Data Science#Top Story
Technology & InnovationLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
How do you measure what can't be seen? In the medical field, this is routine. Thermometers check temperatures and X-rays can show broken bones. But what if you are trying to measure something hotter than the center of the sun that vanishes in 100 trillionths of a second? What if it's an experiment on Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility (NIF)? "We can't just stick a thermometer in our experiment because it's 200 million degrees. We can't use an X-ray machine because it's 50 times denser than lead," said experimental physicist Dave Schlossberg. "We had to
Fusion Energy#Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory#Engineering#High-Energy-Density Science#Lasers and Optical S&T#National Ignition Facility and Photon Science#Physical and Life Sciences#Physics#Top Story
Technology & InnovationLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Diamond is more than a dazzling gem — the extremely hard form of carbon makes up the pellet that encases fuel for inertial confinement fusion, and scientists believe it rains down deep inside ice giant planets like Neptune and Uranus. In both cases, the material experiences enormous pressures. Until now, experiments and simulations have disagreed about how it actually behaves under those conditions. In a new study, published in Nature Physics, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) document how diamond melts under pressures three times greater than the conditions at
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Technology & InnovationLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists and engineers, in conjunction with the Department of Energy (DOE) and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), are increasingly looking to AI, robotics and automation to help accelerate advanced manufacturing, materials discovery and experimental science. The work is part of a broader push to move faster from concept to deployment in mission-relevant technologies. For Chris Spadaccini, who leads LLNL's Materials Engineering Division and has helped drive much of the Lab's advanced manufacturing research, that urgency is
Fusion EnergyEnergy InfrastructureTechnology & Innovation#Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory#Advanced Materials and Manufacturing#computing#Engineering#HPC#Simulation#and Data Science#Laboratory Directed Research and Development
Technology & InnovationLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Recently, the University of California (UC), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) convened researchers and leaders from across the UC system in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for the first annual AI Science at Scale summit. The summit was planned in recognition of AI's growing role in scientific discovery and the Department of Energy's increasing interest in frontier AI, which subsequently formalized in the Genesis mission. Backed by a $19 million investment from fee income UC earned from managing its DOE national labs, the AI Science at Scale
Technology & Innovation#Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory#Academic Engagement#Government#HPC#Simulation#and Data Science#Industry Collaborations#Top Story
Technology & InnovationLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
A pulsed-power prototype designed and built at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has surpassed 3,000 shots, a milestone researchers say demonstrates the maturity of a new accelerator architecture and marks an important step in evaluating how the technology could be scaled for future national and economic security applications, including fusion energy. The campaign was supported through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Pacific Fusion, a commercial fusion-energy company that is developing related pulsed-power technology as a means of driving inertial fusion
Fusion EnergyParticle Physics#Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory#Energy#Engineering#High-Energy-Density Science#Industry Collaborations#Nuclear deterrence#Top Story#fusion
Technology & InnovationLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is contributing AI-enabled payload optimization and advanced modeling and simulation expertise to Aires Tide, a collaborative National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) demonstration exploring new ways to design flight test vehicles. Developed in collaboration with Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and the Kansas City National Security Campus, Aires Tide brings together expertise across design, manufacturing and flight testing in a single cross-enterprise effort. The project is also an early example of the
Fusion EnergyTechnology & Innovation#Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory#Advanced Materials and Manufacturing#Defense#Engineering#Government#HPC#Simulation#and Data Science
Technology & InnovationLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Each summer, students from across the country join Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to gain hands-on experience, work alongside researchers and contribute to projects supporting the Lab's mission. Meet four interns whose work spans emergency preparedness, artificial intelligence, actinide chemistry and additive manufacturing, and learn how their experiences are shaping their careers. Exploring actinide chemistry and nuclear material tracking Asia Jones explores actinide chemistry and nuclear material tracking through spectroscopy and synthesis. Asia Jones, who graduated from Norfolk State University in spring 2026 with a degree in chemistry, is an intern in LLNL's Physical and
Technology & Innovation#Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory#Academic Engagement#Advanced Materials and Manufacturing#Careers#HPC#Simulation#and Data Science#Nuclear
Space & AstronomyLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
From off-roading in rural Nevada to commuting during rush hour on the 405 in Los Angeles, the space domain has undergone a rapid transformation over the past five years. What began as a vast landscape with a few high-profile, large-scale missions is now a heavily trafficked orbital freeway, rife with accident debris and security risks. To navigate this new environment, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) built the Satellite, Telescope, Aerial drone, and Remote sensing Mission Operations Center (STARMOC). The latest episode of the Big Ideas Lab podcast takes listeners inside the
Space & Astronomy#Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory#computing#Engineering#HPC#Simulation#and Data Science#Space security#Top Story
Research NewsLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Nearly 100 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) students, mentors and staff joined colleagues from across the Department of Energy (DOE) complex recently for a hands-on clinic focused on using agentic artificial intelligence tools in real scientific and technical work. Held in the Lab's Research Library, the 2026 Cross-Laboratory AI Clinic combined shared presentations from DOE and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) with local working sessions at LLNL. Participants could bring their own data or research problem or work through a challenge problem developed through LLNL's Data
Particle PhysicsEnergy InfrastructureTechnology & Innovation#Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory#Academic Engagement#computing#Government#HPC#Simulation#and Data Science#Top Story
Press ReleasesLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
For grid-scale energy storage and national energy resilience, the U.S. needs better batteries. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists are tackling that challenge in many ways, but one approach is making a significant impact: physics-informed machine learning. In two recent publications, LLNL researchers examined how integrating molecular dynamics simulations with physics-informed machine learning can illuminate the relationships between structure and behavior in complex battery materials. They used the powerful combination of techniques to explore carbon anodes in sodium
Research#Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory#Advanced Materials and Manufacturing#computing#Energy#Government#HPC#Simulation#and Data Science
Press ReleasesLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
It was a journey to the center of the Earth, if only for the briefest of moments. But rather than tunneling thousands of miles from the Earth's surface, researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and several universities used the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to recreate those extreme temperature and pressure conditions of the Earth's inner core. This enabled the first ever simultaneous measurement of iron's dynamic strength at relevant temperature and pressures. "We study iron because it is a primary constituent of Earth's and other terrestrial planet cores, and
Research#Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory#Academic Engagement#Earth system resilience#High-Energy-Density Science#HPC#Simulation#and Data Science#Lasers and Optical S&T
Research NewsLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
A single gram of soil contains between 10 million and 1 billion viruses. Most of those viruses do not infect plants, animals or people — but they do target bacteria and other microbes. Because of their influence on microbial communities, viruses can affect nutrient cycling and soil health. Understanding how they behave is therefore crucial for supporting agriculture, food production and water quality. A new study published in mSystems by researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) shows that of the many viruses present in soil, only some are active participants at any
Life SciencesEnvironment & Climate#Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory#Bioscience and Bioengineering#Biosciences and Biotechnology#Energy#Government#HPC#Simulation#and Data Science
Technology & InnovationLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Registration is now open for the 2026 Real-World Quantum Computing workshop, jointly hosted by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and San Jose State University (SJSU). The two-day workshop is designed for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students in engineering, physics or related fields. Interns are encouraged to apply. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. The workshop aims to orient participants to the physical principles of using superconducting hardware for quantum computing, focusing on low-level calibration and physical controls. This
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Press ReleasesLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Deep inside gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn, hydrogen and helium coexist under pressures millions of times greater than Earth's atmosphere. At those conditions, helium may separate from hydrogen and influence a planet's internal heat flow, structure and magnetic field. Understanding these processes and how these materials behave under extreme conditions is essential to building accurate models of planetary evolution. New experimental results, published in Physical Review Research, reveal the behavior of helium at unprecedented pressures. The research, conducted by scientists at Lawrenc
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Technology & InnovationLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and UC Merced have long been partners in cutting-edge science and technology. University students and researchers take part in numerous lab activities such as the Data Science Challenge, which brings students to Livermore to for an intensive two-week summer experience where they collaborate on complex scientific and computational problems. And on National Labs Day, the university connects graduate students and postdoctoral scholars with researchers from national labs across the country, including Livermore. Now that collaboration has been
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Environment & ClimateLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
The human brain is the ultimate supercomputer. It uses a highly-branched and interconnected network of neurons and synapses to achieve massive computational power with extreme efficiency. In the age of AI, the brain, a paradigm of efficient neuromorphic computing, is providing inspiration for scientists. Ionic computing — which uses ions to compute instead of the electrons in typical devices — could provide a path forward for neuromorphic technology that rivals the brain's efficiency. But the field is only a few years old, and many challenges remain before it moves beyond proof of
Environment & Climate#Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory#Academic Engagement#Advanced Materials and Manufacturing#Bioscience and Bioengineering#Energy#HPC#Simulation#and Data Science
