Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Petawatt Lasers
The first petawatt (1015 watt) laser was demonstrated at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in 1996. This laser system was commissioned as a high-intensity beamline in the Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) Program's NOVA laser, NIF's predecessor. 
The laser produced 1.5 petawatts (PW) of power and focal irradiances of about 1,020 watts per square centimeter. Subsequent PW laser target experiments yielded several important findings including the discovery of high-energy, laser-driven proton beams, high-energy X-ray radiography and laser-driven nuclear excitation.
The success of the NOVA laser – and the fundamental discoveries in high energy density science it enabled – inspired a revolution in high-energy PW development around the world. PS&A is leading the effort to commission a petawatt-class quad of beams in the National Ignition Facility called the Advanced Radiographic Capability (ARC).
Several unique components are necessary to add a petawatt-class beamline to NIF, including a fiber-based front-end, a split-beam injection system and a pulse compressor with large, high-damage-threshold gratings.
ARC's mission entails the generation of short bursts of X-rays to backlight high-density ICF targets for the National Ignition Campaign (NIC). Employing up to eight backlighters, ARC can produce an X-ray "motion picture" to diagnose the compression and ignition of a cryogenic deuterium-tritium target with tens-of-picosecond temporal resolution during the critical phases of an ICF shot.
The ARC quad of beamlines can provide up to eight backlighters for ignition evaluation.
Additionally, ARC will be employed for a variety of other HED experiments and to assess fast-ignition potential in NIF (see Fast Ignition).
High-energy petawatt (1015 watt) application space expands with increases in laser energy; generating MeV X-rays will allow new inquiries into relativistic science.
PS&A continues to support and interact with institutions around the world that are building petawatt laser systems to explore high energy density science. An organization to support PW-class laser system research was also created: the International Committee on Ultra-Intense Lasers (ICUIL) furthers the exploration of PW laser systems and associated technologies by coordinating meetings and other professional activities that bring together specialists in these areas.
More Information
"Further Developments in Ultrashort-Pulse Lasers," Science & Technology Review, October 2001
"The Amazing Power of the Petawatt," Science & Technology Review, March 2000
"Ultrahigh-Intensity Lasers: Physics of the Extreme on a Tabletop," Physics Today, January 1998 (PDF)
