Co-authored by Xcimer founders and Dr. Dirk Sutter of TRUMPF Laser SE, white paper outlines why Xcimer’s approach offers potential for significant cost advantages.

Today we’re sharing an overview of our approach and roadmap to commercializing laser-inertial fusion, the only fusion approach to date which has surpassed scientific breakeven and produced an ignited plasma. Using excimer lasers and nonlinear optics, we can reduce costs, affordably build an efficient 10 MJ laser to scale the NIF’s achievement to high-gain, and bypass material science challenges that stand in the way of building a practical, reliable and economic laser-fusion power plant.  

Co-authored by Xcimer Energy founders Conner Galloway and Alexander Valys, and @ Dirk Sutter, Senior Principal R&D Expert at TRUMPF Laser SE, the white paper outlines why Xcimer’s innovative approach offers the potential for significant capital and maintenance cost advantages over a laser fusion power plant utilizing conventional diode-pumped solid-state laser architectures.

The physics of laser-driven inertial fusion has been proven. The National Ignition Facility achieved breakeven in 2022 and a scientific gain over 4 last year. The challenge now is economics and scale.

Our gas excimer laser architecture is purpose-built for both. Compared to diode-pumping solid-state systems like the NIF, we have at least a 10x cost advantage — and we can scale to 10+ megajoules of energy with under 1 square meter of final optical area in the laser.

That combination unlocks larger fuel capsules, higher fusion gain, lower repetition rates, and a simpler path to a commercial power plant.

TRUMPF brings decades of experience with laser and optical development, across both solid-state and gas lasers, to the fusion landscape. We are grateful for TRUMPF’s engagement and commitment to making laser fusion a commercial reality, through whatever technology wins the race.

LINK TO PAPER