The world’s largest privately owned laser just turned on
Xcimer Energy has activated its Phoenix laser system, claiming it to be the largest privately owned laser globally. This system is designed to advance fusion power technology, building on concepts proven by the National Ignition Facility. The company aims to develop a commercial fusion power plant by the mid-2030s, with a prototype expected by 2028.
- ▪Xcimer Energy's Phoenix laser system is the largest privately owned laser in the world.
- ▪The system uses excimer amplification and generates over 1 kilojoule of energy.
- ▪Xcimer plans to complete a prototype by 2028 and aims to build a commercial power plant in the mid-2030s.
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Fusion startup Xcimer Energy on Wednesday flipped the switch on its Phoenix laser system, which the company says is the largest privately owned example in the world. Xcimer’s approach to fusion power is modeled after the National Ignition Facility (NIF), which proved in December 2022 that a controlled fusion reaction could release more power than required to ignite it. The NIF trained 192 laser beams on a fuel target smaller than a pencil eraser. The energy from the lasers hit the gold target. As the lasers obliterate the gold target, their energy is converted into X-rays, which are focused on the fuel pellet inside, compressing it until atoms in the fuel fuse and release energy.
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