Advancing Proven Technology
Our low-cost, high-efficiency laser technology will allow us to build the world's largest laser and scale the successful breakeven demonstrations at the National Ignition Facility to commercial operation.
Our plan builds on decades of investment in gas excimer laser systems for semiconductor lithography and defense, combined with fuel capsule and power plant advances that have been waiting for a laser system to enable them.
Advancing Proven Technology
We're overcoming the challenges that have blocked the commercial application of inertial fusion energy (IFE).
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Lower Laser Cost
By using a gas laser architecture, we've reduced the cost per joule by more than 30x compared to the National Ignition Facility (NIF).
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10+ MJ Laser
Our lower-cost design allows us to build a much higher-energy laser—with under 1 square meter of final optical area.
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Larger Fuel Capsules
With more laser energy, we can ignite larger fuel capsules that are easier to produce, more robust, and capable of achieving higher fusion gain.
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Lower Repetition Rates
Because of that higher gain, we can run at lower repetition rates (less than 1 Hz), which simplifies engineering and significantly reduces capsule fabrication costs.
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Low-Maintenance Chamber
We use flowing liquid lithium salt to protect the chamber's structural walls from fusion neutrons—minimizing maintenance and reducing waste.
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Superior Economics
Together, these advantages simplify the development roadmap and cost of a power plant, giving us the clearest, lowest-risk path to commercial fusion with the best long-term economics.
10+ MJ Krypton Fluoride Laser
Our laser combines nonlinear "gas" optics with excimer laser amplifiers to produce very high beam energies at low cost. Excimer lasers have seen wide commercial application in semiconductor lithography, medical, and industrial applications.
Fusion Fuel Capsule
Like NIF, our fuel capsules are consumables containing hydrogen (DT) fuel that are ignited by the laser, but at much larger size and mass, resulting in higher performance, easier manufacturing, and more robust operation. The higher performance means a power plant can operate at lower repetition rates (< 1 Hz) than conventional IFE concepts.
HYLIFE III FLiBe Chamber
Pioneered at Livermore National Lab and UC Berkeley over several decades, the chamber uses a self contained liquid flow of lithium salt, or FLiBe, to absorb fusion output and completely protect the first structural wall.
