The National Ignition Facility

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) is a cutting-edge research center in the United States that uses powerful lasers to study nuclear fusion and other high-energy physics phenomena. It consists of a large array of ultra-precise lasers that deliver intense bursts of energy onto tiny fuel targets, aiming to replicate the processes powering the sun. The goal is to understand fusion energy, which could provide a clean, virtually limitless energy source in the future. NIF also supports scientific research in defense, astrophysics, and materials science, advancing our knowledge of extreme states of matter and energy.