Physics Colloquium: "The Laboratory for Laser Energetics: A Unique National Facility for Frontier Science, High Energy Density Physics and Inertial Confinement Fusion"

The Department of Physics is pleased to welcome Christopher Deeney, Director of the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) and a Professor of both Physics and Astronomy and Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Rochester, for his talk titled, "The Laboratory for Laser Energetics: A Unique National Facility for Frontier Science, High Energy Density Physics and Inertial Confinement Fusion."

Bio: Christopher Deeney is the Director of the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) and a Professor of both Physics and Astronomy and Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Rochester. He previously served as Chief Science and Technology Officer, National Security Directorate, at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), in addition to his years of experience at the Nevada National Security Site as a Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. He managed the almost $2 billion research and development portfolio for Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. As a researcher and senior manager, he worked at Sandia National Laboratories and at Physics International. Chris is known as a scientific and innovation leader with direct experience running complex operations, especially in high-energy-density physics. LLE and the Omega Laser Facility operates the two largest lasers in an academic institution.

In his role as Director, Deeney manages the Laboratory’s senior management staff, providing executive-level guidance and direction. He participates in the day-to-day management of the 450-person Laboratory; fosters successful relationships among University Senior Leadership; federal, local, and state government officials; peer organizations and laboratories; Department of Energy; National Science Foundation; Department of Defense; private industry; and the local community. He participates in ongoing University strategy development. At LLE, he develops strategies with an emphasis on bringing high-quality science and technology solutions to address key challenges in fusion, high-energy-density physics, and laser technologies while maintaining effective operations of the academia’s largest lasers and educating future generations of scientists and engineers.

Chris received his Ph.D. in Plasma Physics from the Imperial College in the United Kingdom. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

Abstract: From fusion start-ups to newly discovered exoplanets making headlines, this is an exceptionally exciting moment for high energy density science—and one that gives the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) a compelling and forward-looking research agenda. As Professor Adam Frank of the University of Rochester has written, “The Universe is More in Our Hands Than Ever Before,” The Atlantic, January 3, 2023.

In this talk, we will review recent progress in high energy density science, encompassing experiments and theory at pressures exceeding 1 MBar, with applications spanning Department of Energy (DOE) and National Science Foundation (NSF) missions. Fusion represents an extreme realization of high energy density physics, reaching pressures on the order of 100 GBar. LLE is the national leader in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion, and we will discuss recent advances at the OMEGA laser, as well as the development of a fourth-generation laser system designed to deliver significantly enhanced performance and establish a pathway toward very high fusion yields and gains in a future facility.

Fusion fundamentally involves the conversion of mass into energy. With dramatic increases in laser intensity—enabled by the Nobel Prize winning invention of Chirped Pulse Amplification, at LLE—the experimental exploration of extreme physis regimes has become possible. These include frontiers in quantum electrodynamics, as well as progress toward the long-term goal of converting energy into mass in the vacuum, an objective that has generated intense international interest. LLE is currently developing what could become the world’s most powerful laser facility for NSF, NSF OPAL (https://nsf-opal.rochester.edu/) opening new and exciting frontiers in science as described in the Multi-Petawatt Physics Prioritization Report in 2022 (https://arxiv.org/pdf/2211.13187).

This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy [National Nuclear Security Administration] University of Rochester “National Inertial Confinement Fusion Program” under Award Number(s) DE-NA0004144.