BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY NEW AWARD CONTROL NUMBER: 3387-2184 VISION OPEN 2024 (DE-FOA-0003387) PROJECT TITLE: “GASEOUS OPTICS FOR NEXT GENERATION FUSION ENERGY LASERS” DESCRIPTION: “NUCLEAR FUSION OFFERS A POTENTIAL LONG-TERM SOLUTION FOR PRIMARY ENERGY GENERATION WITHOUT GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. THE RECENT DEMONSTRATION OF FUSION IGNITION ON THE NATIONAL IGNITION FACILITY AT THE LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY HAS VALIDATED THE PHYSICS REQUIRED FOR FUSION POWER AND PROMPTED INTEREST AND INVESTMENT IN LASER FUSION AS AN ENERGY SOURCE. ALL CONCEPTS FOR LASER-DRIVEN INERTIAL FUSION ENERGY (IFE) RELY ON HIGH-ENERGY LASER PULSES DELIVERED TO A TARGET CHAMBER TO COMPRESS A FUSION FUEL CAPSULE. A KEY OBSTACLE IS THAT THE FINAL OPTICS THAT DIRECT THE LASER BEAMS TO THE FUSION TARGET ARE NECESSARILY IN THE TARGET’S LINE-OF-SIGHT, AND THUS WILL EXPERIENCE EXTREME X-RAY, NEUTRON, AND DEBRIS FLUXES AS WELL AS HIGH LASER LIGHT INTENSITY. NO EXISTING OPTICAL MATERIAL CAN WITHSTAND FUSION REACTOR CONDITIONS, AND, WITHOUT SUITABLE OPTICS, LASER ENERGY CANNOT BE DELIVERED TO THE FUSION FUEL. HERE, WE PROPOSE DEVELOPING GAS-BASED OPTICS INTO COMMERCIAL-GRADE TECHNOLOGY SUITABLE TO USE AS FINAL OPTICS FOR IFE LASERS. GAS OPTICS, BASED ON CREATING STRONG DENSITY MODULATIONS IN GAS TO REDIRECT AND FOCUS HIGH-ENERGY LASER BEAMS, ARE CONSTANTLY RENEWED AND ARE THUS NOT SUSCEPTIBLE TO X-RAYS, NEUTRONS, OR DEBRIS. THEY CAN TOLERATE LASER FLUENCES MORE THAN A HUNDRED TIMES HIGHER THAN SOLID STATE OPTICS, ALLOWING MORE COMPACT LASER DRIVERS AND MORE EFFICIENT REACTOR DESIGNS. THIS PROJECT WOULD DEVELOP THE INITIAL DEMONSTRATION OF A TOOLKIT OF GASEOUS OPTICAL COMPONENTS—MIRRORS, LENSES, AND BEAM SHAPERS—THAT CAN BE USED TO BUILD IFE DRIVERS AND WOULD ALSO HAVE POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS IN MANUFACTURING AND HIGH-POWER LASER DEVELOPMENT.”