Status of NIF laser and high power laser research at LLNL

This talk will provide an overview of high power laser research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). It will discuss the status of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) laser. In addition, the talk will describe other laser development activities such as the development of high average power lasers and novel fiber lasers. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) has been in service since 2007 and operating with > 1 MJ energies since 2009. During this time the facility has transitioned to become an international user facility and increased the shot rate from ~150 target shots per year to greater than 400 shots per year. Today, the NIF plays an essential role in the US Stockpile Stewardship Program, providing data under the extreme conditions needed to validate computer models and train the next generation of stockpile stewards. Recent upgrades include the Advanced Radiographic Capability (ARC), a high energy short pulse laser used to do high resolution radiography. In addition to the NIF, this talk will include an overview of progress on the high average power laser development, recent results from fiber laser development activities and improvements to laser design and computational capabilities.