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LLNL在10拍瓦激光项目中居于核心地位

发布时间：2014-10-9 10:57 来自: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

LLNL has again been selected to support the development and construction of an ultra-intense laser system for the European Union’s Extreme Light Infrastructure Beamlines facility (ELI-Beamlines) in the Czech Republic.

A consortium led by National Energetics, Inc., in partnership with Ekspla UAB, was awarded the contract to construct the system, which will be the most powerful laser of its class in the world, capable of producing peak power in excess of 10 petawatts (PW), or 10 quadrillion watts. Due to LLNL’s long-standing expertise in laser research and development, the consortium selected the Laboratory for a $3.5 million subcontract to support development of the new system.

“The award of this project is another clear statement of the internationally leading nature of LLNL’s laser design capability,” said Mike Dunne, LLNL’s director of laser fusion energy. “It is also another great example of where LLNL is helping move forward the global state-of-the-art of high-power lasers, working collaboratively with U.S. and European industry and academia. We are very excited to work with the National Energetics consortium, who have a very compelling approach to reaching the 10 petawatt goal.”

3D CAD rendering of the ELI-Beamlines 10-petawatt laser system. (Credit: National Energetics, Inc.)

Under the subcontract, LLNL will be responsible for contributing to the physics design of the liquid-cooled laser amplifier, allowing it to get to the high energies required for accessing 10 PW power; contributing to the physics and engineering design of the short-pulse compressor, which takes the high-energy beam and compresses it to the required pulse length; and producing the large aperture diffraction gratings for the compressor.

The system will be one of the four major beamlines at the new ELI-Beamlines facility. In addition to work on this beamline, LLNL is also responsible for the design, development and installation of a second beamline at the facility, through a more than $45 million contract awarded in 2013. When commissioned to its full design performance, the laser system, called the “High Repetition-rate Advanced Petawatt Laser System” (HAPLS), will be the world’s highest average-power petawatt laser system. The two systems will thus offer a highly attractive capability for the new ELI-Beamlines facility, which will appeal to academic and industrial researchers from across the world.

Orginial Title: LLNL to Play Key Role in 10-Petawatt Laser Project