National Ignition Facility

The National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, is a laser-fusion research installation built for inertial confinement fusion and for studying matter under extreme conditions tied to the United States nuclear stockpile. Construction began in 1997 and was certified complete on March 31, 2009, after major delays and cost growth. Using 192 laser beamlines, it drives tiny fuel targets to enormous pressures and temperatures in pursuit of fusion. After the National Ignition Campaign fell short between 2009 and 2012, continued refinements led to major advances, including a burning plasma in 2021 and the first scientific breakeven there on December 5, 2022.

Livermore, California · United States