Changing laser polarization could save optics at NIF

[Marlin]

Changing laser polarization could save optics at NIF

https://www.ans.org/news/2026-06-30/article-8168/changing-laser-polarization-could-save-optics-at-nif/

[Core Content]

Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory identified that shifting laser polarization from linear to circular may reduce backscatter during inertial confinement fusion experiments. This change aims to mitigate damage to internal optics caused by laser energy reflecting back into the system. Implementing this method requires developing large-scale waveplate technology, which remains a technical challenge for current facility operations.

New calculations by scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory suggest that changing the polarization of the National Ignition Facility's lasers could reduce backscatter, an effect that can make an optic unusable after a single shot.

NIF achieves inertial confinement fusion (ICF) by focusing 192 lasers into two 3-millimeter holes on the top and bottom of a tiny canister called a hohlraum, which contains a fuel capsule that creates a plasma in the implosion. Inevitably, during this process, some of the laser energy is scattered away from the direction of the beam, sometimes hitting the machine's optics.

Read the full article at ans.org:
https://www.ans.org/news/2026-06-30/article-8168/changing-laser-polarization-could-save-optics-at-nif/