The URochester-led NSF OPAL project awarded initial funding to support the final design phase for a world-leading high-power laser facility.
The University of Rochester has been awarded the first round of funding from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) to advance the NSF OPAL project into its final design phase, with funding potentially totaling up to $13.7 million. The funding advances the proposed scientific research facility another major step toward construction. The proposed two-beam, high-peak-power facility, to be constructed at the University of Rochester, will be the world's most powerful laser system and serve as a shared resource to the global scientific community.
NSF OPAL is designed to give researchers unprecedented capabilities to investigate open questions in quantum electrodynamics, recreate conditions in the early universe, and produce the most powerful electron accelerator on Earth.
The NSF OPAL project will:
- Reestablish US leadership in ultrahigh-intensity laser-based science.
- Develop optics that will have direct impacts on next-generation lasers for national security, fusion energy, advanced semiconductor and industrial manufacturing, and medical applications.
- Usher in new measurement tools that will provide impacts across particle physics, nuclear physics, and fusion and plasma physics.
The next phase for NSF OPAL
The new award marks the crucial next phase of NSF OPAL, building on nearly $18 million in NSF funding awarded in 2023 for the project's initial design and technology development. With this latest award, the project team will complete the design of a next-generation laser facility and advance critical technologies, including high-energy amplifiers, large-aperture optical components, and advanced diagnostics. The facility will also integrate AI and machine learning into experiment planning, operations, and data analysis from the outset, making it among the first major scientific user facilities to build AI/ML into its core design.
These activities are intended to establish key enabling technologies, strengthen partnerships with US industry, and support continued collaboration to develop the critical laser optics and experimental diagnostics that NSF OPAL and other future state-of-the-art facilities will need. The University of Nevada, Reno-led DELIGHT program is one example: Launched with a $4.5 million NSF grant in August 2026, it's building the diagnostic "eyes" for the NSF OPAL laser facility and other petawatt-class laser systems.
Workforce development is central to the project. The final design phase includes hands-on training for the next generation of laser facility designers, builders, operators, and scientific users. Such training will strengthen a national talent pipeline in photonics and laser science, while reinforcing URochester's standing as a center for laser and other scientific technology on the world stage. In addition, it will benefit from the extensive lasers and optics community in the Rochester/Finger Lakes region and across the country to develop and potentially commercialize key technologies.
NSF OPAL, which would be constructed at URochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) with a future award, is intended to operate as a shared national resource: a facility available to the broader scientific community as a research environment and a hub for scientific collaboration.
"With this summer's celebration to mark the 40th anniversary of Nobel Prize-winning research at LLE, we know that this kind of support from the NSF has the potential to open doors to the next era of frontier science that will re-establish US leadership in the application of ultra-intense lasers," URochester President Sarah Mangelsdorf says. "This level of advanced research requires an outstanding team, and I want to thank our federal partners at NSF, our Congressional delegation, including Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, and Representatives Morelle, Langworthy, and Tenney, and our New York State partners, including Governor Hochul, for their support."
A multi-institutional effort
Activities supported under the final design award span five institutions: the University of Rochester, the University at Buffalo, the University of California, Irvine, the University of Notre Dame, and Plymouth Grating Laboratory.
Government leaders express their support for NSF OPAL
US Senator Charles Schumer: "The University of Rochester is a global leader in cutting-edge laser research. With this $13.7 million National Science Foundation award, the university's bold vision of building the world's most powerful laser system, right here in Rochester, is one step closer to becoming reality. I fought to reauthorize NSF in my CHIPS & Science Law with Upstate NY's world-leading research universities, world-class workforce, and innovation ecosystem in mind. I have long advocated for critical federal investment in the UR's Laser Lab and will continue to be laser-focused on delivering even more federal resources to advance this next-generation work."
US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand: "With this design award, the university can advance U.S. leadership in high-intensity laser research with the potential to have profound implications for energy, security, medicine, and more. I'm proud to have worked to pass the CHIPS & Science Law to help secure funding for critical projects like this, and I'll keep fighting to give New York's researchers and students the resources they need to strengthen our global leadership in next-generation technology."
Congressman Joe Morelle: "I join the entire scientific community in commending the University of Rochester on this well-deserved milestone. The development of NSF OPAL will provide a unique research environment and prepare the Laboratory for Laser Energetics to lead the country in this cutting-edge research and technology," said Congressman Joe Morelle. "By advancing high-shot-rate laser systems, integrating AI and machine learning into facility operations, and training the next generation of laser scientists and engineers, NSF OPAL will help define the future of high-energy-density science. Thank you to the National Science Foundation for its continued work to move this important project forward."
Congresswoman Claudia Tenney: "Upstate New York is home to world-class researchers whose work strengthens our national security and keeps America at the forefront of scientific discovery. This funding brings the University of Rochester's OPAL project one step closer to advancing American leadership in laser technology, with the potential to drive breakthroughs in energy, manufacturing, and defense. I'm pleased to see this project move forward and help train the next generation of American scientists and engineers."
Congressman Nick Langworthy: "This investment is a major step forward in restoring American leadership in the most advanced scientific research and laser technology. NSF OPAL has the potential to put the United States at the forefront of high-intensity laser science while strengthening our national security, advancing breakthrough technologies and training the next generation of American scientists and engineers. We are fortunate to have the University of Rochester's world-class Laboratory for Laser Energetics right here in our region, and I will continue working to ensure projects like NSF OPAL have the federal support they need to turn groundbreaking research into real-world discoveries, good-paying jobs and greater opportunities for the entire I-90 Tech Corridor."
New York Governor Kathy Hochul: "The University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics is a shining example of New York State's innovation economy, and this crucial investment further reinforces the college's reputation as a leader in cutting-edge discoveries. This project, coupled with the recent announcement of federal and state investments in the NSF STELLAR Engine, demonstrates that New York remains committed to growing next-generation R & D and energy industry applications and technologies, generating sustainable economic growth."
