National Ignition Facility & Photon Science - Science on a Mission

The National Ignition Facility is the world premiere institution of nuclear science. Since 2009, NIF has been home to the world’s largest and most energetic laser. By focusing 192 lasers on a single target, NIF creates conditions - temperatures of 100 millions of degrees and pressures 100 billion times that of the Earth’s atmosphere - that are similar to those found in stars and nuclear weapons. These capabilities are leveraged to push forward national security priorities, such as ensuring the nation’s stockpile is safe, secure, and reliable through its Stockpile Stewardship Program as well advancing basic science. The brightest and best scientists from around the world work together at NIF to answer one of science's grand challenges - inertial confinement fusion.