Ohara Glass and Fused Silica in the NIF
LLNL National Ignition Facility (NIF) achieves a new record for fusion ignition on October 30, 2023.
World’s First 2.2 Megajoule (MJ) shot!
LLNL's NIF Fusion Ignition Breakthrough with Ohara Glass and Fused Silica
On October 30, 2023, the National Ignition Facility (NIF) conducted their fourth controlled fusion experiment that was able to reach scientific energy breakeven, meaning it produced more energy from fusion than the laser energy used to drive it. In this latest fusion ignition NIF was able to increase the energy from 2.05 MJ to 2.2 MJ, thanks in part to the quality of the optics in the laser system. Congratulations to the NIF Team on this historic scientific achievement!
Ohara is very pleased to be a multi-decade supplier to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and we are proud to have provided more than 1000 pieces of optical glass and fused silica blanks for use in the NIF, the world’s largest and highest energy laser.
LLNL achieved fusion ignition for the first time on December 5th, 2022. The second time was on July 30th, 2023, delivering 2.05 MJ and yielding the highest output of fusion energy, 3.88 MJ. On October 8th, 2023, the NIF laser achieved its third fusion ignition with 1.9 MJ of laser energy, resulting in a fusion energy yield of 2.4 MJ.
Preamplifier Module
The NIF’s preamplifier module increases the laser energy as it travels to the Target Chamber. Credit: U.S. Damien Jemison, LLNL.
LLNL Target Chamber
The target chamber of LLNL’s National Ignition Facility, where 192 laser beams delivered more
than 2 million joules of ultraviolet energy to a tiny fuel pellet to create fusion ignition. Credit: LLNL.
