With more than a decade of productive partnership in advancing high-power laser technology, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) are looking to the future. The two institutions have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding that builds on their existing strategic collaboration and reflects the commitment of both to advancing scientific research and laser innovation.
"We are looking forward to expanding our existing collaborations with ELI on areas such as ultrabright high-repetition-rate sources for enhanced radiography, fusion and plasma physics research," said James McCarrick, LLNL program director for High Energy Density and Photon Systems. "This includes developing technologies with multiple applications such as high-repetition-rate target systems and diagnostics that can survive sustained operation close to one of the highest intensity and highest average power lasers in the world."
ELI and LLNL have a long-standing partnership that began with LLNL building and delivering the L3 HAPLS (High-Repetition-Rate Advanced Petawatt Laser System) to the ELI Beamlines Facility near Prague in the Czech Republic. L3 HAPLS is designed to deliver petawatt-class pulses with energy of at least 30 joules and durations below 30 femtoseconds, at a 10 Hz repetition rate. The system is already extensively used, capitalizing on its reliability and high repetition rate, while a clear plan is in place to continue ramping up its performance toward the full technical design parameters. These capabilities are essential for driving secondary sources like electrons, ions and x-rays, and for advancing the understanding of laser-plasma interactions.
The L3 HAPLS is a central feature of ELI's scientific offerings and provides a powerful tool for exploring high-intensity laser experiments with relevant applications to fields like materials science, medical therapy and non-destructive analysis. It is also particularly well suited for exploratory research in laser-driven fusion.
ELI also has already acted as a proving ground for LLNL machine learning and optimization technologies. Last year, LLNL researchers performed an experiment in cooperation with ELI staff that integrated machine learning and optimization technologies to enhance the performance of the L3 system. This effectively boosted precision and efficiency, paving the way for even greater advancements in high-power laser experiments and research. The success of this experiment opens new avenues in laser-plasma interaction physics.
The close cooperation with the U.S. scientific user community is evident in the growing demand for ELI's state-of-the-art facilities within the framework of ELI's user program. With experiment proposal submissions increasing and a rising user base, the U.S. stands out as the country with the third-highest number of proposals in the past five mission-based access calls. This underscores the significance of transatlantic cooperation in advancing laser science and highlights the strong and ongoing engagement of U.S.-affiliated researchers in ELI's user program.
"We are pleased to see the active engagement of U.S.-based researchers in experiments at ELI, leveraging the advanced technology, including the L3 HAPLS system," said Allen Weeks, ELI ERIC Director General. "This collaboration exemplifies the strength of international partnerships in driving forward scientific research and technological advancements. Together ELI and LLNL are shaping the future of laser science."
As ELI and LLNL work together to push the frontiers of laser science, their expertise is combined for the continuous development of laser technologies. This agreement lays the foundation for the exchange of staff, internship opportunities for students and postdocs and fostering a culture of knowledge-sharing and intellectual collaboration. These initiatives will not only strengthen the ties between the two institutions but also expand the scope of joint research initiatives. Through this continued collaboration, ELI and LLNL are committed to addressing the challenges of tomorrow and shaping the future of laser science and technology.
