IFE-SURE: Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

Program Overview: The Computational X-ray Imaging team in BYU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy applies advanced X-ray imaging techniques to study materials relevant to inertial fusion energy. Students participate in a 10-week summer program that includes experiments at national DOE light sources and data analysis at BYU. Interns also benefit from BYU’s broader Physics & Astronomy REU, which provides a cohort experience with around 20 students.

Mentorship and Team: Two mentors, Dr. Richard Sandberg and Dr. John Ellsworth, lead the program. The team expects to host 5–6 students, with 2–3 funded by IFE-SURE.

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects:

Nanometer-scale 3D X-ray imaging of IFE foams using ptychographic tomography.
Ultrafast X-ray imaging of shock wave interactions in IFE materials.
Additional opportunities in neutron detection, plasma confinement, and fusion-related spectroscopy.

Additional Notes: Funding coordination with collaborators is ongoing and may affect the number of available positions.

Program Overview: The Advanced Laser for Extreme Photonics (ALEPH) Center at Colorado State University offers summer research opportunities for 6–7 undergraduates. Students engage in high-energy laser research over 10 weeks, focusing on ultrafast laser systems and materials relevant to laser–matter interactions and fusion applications. The program provides exposure to engineering, optics, and materials science within one of the world’s premier ultrafast laser environments.

Mentorship and Team: 6–7 mentors guide 6–7 students.

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects:

Generation of intense ultrafast X-ray flashes using nanostructures.
Interaction of femtosecond laser pulses with nanostructured targets.
Fabrication and diagnostics of dielectric thin-film coatings for high-power lasers.
Super-resolution microscopy for defect characterization.
Ultra-high-intensity laser technologies, including compact ultrafast laser development and thermal transport in optics.
Imaging and engagement of high-velocity fusion targets in vacuum environments.

Accepting International Students: No

Program Overview: The Cornell program focuses on computational modeling of laser pulse amplification through Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS) in gases—a process critical for advancing short, intense ultraviolet laser pulses used in laser-driven inertial fusion. Students will gain experience in nonlinear laser optics, computational modeling, and the underlying physics relevant to inertial fusion energy research.

Mentorship and Team: A faculty member and a postdoctoral researcher will mentor one IFE-SURE student.

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects:

Computational modeling of SBS-based laser pulse amplification.
Nonlinear laser optics for high-intensity ultraviolet pulse development.
Applications of SBS in improving the efficiency of laser-driven fusion systems.

Accepting International Students: Yes

Program Overview: Cornell’s Laboratory of Plasma Studies (LPS) will host a 10-week summer cohort of undergraduates working on pulser-driven inertial fusion energy, the pulsed-power counterpart to the laser-driven programs elsewhere in the network. Students will work on the 1-MA, 100 ns rise time COBRA generator and the 700 kA, 2 us rise time PUFFIN generator, alongside faculty, research staff, and graduate students from LPS, CHESS, and partner engineering departments. Nine weeks will be spent in residence at Ithaca and with the opportunity to visit a Pacific Fusion site in California or New Mexico. Projects will span pulsed-power driver development, target and liner physics, fusion materials, and AI-enabled diagnostics.

Mentorship and Team: Approximately 5-6 Cornell faculty and 3-4 Pacific Fusion technical staff will mentor 10 to 20 IFE-SURE program participants contingent on available funding from DOE. Students are jointly mentored by university and industry researchers throughout the appointment, not only during the placement week.

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects: Students contribute to pulsed-power driver development and high-energy-density experiments on COBRA and PUFFIN. Research areas include:
Repetition-rate pulsed-power engineering, including switches, capacitors, and transmission lines
Target design, including additively manufactured targets
Z-pinch, X-pinch, and gas-puff implosion diagnostics and machine learning methods for high-throughput diagnostic data analysis

During the placement week, students will have the opportunity to tour pulser module manufacturing and testing facilities and present and discuss their research with industry scientists

Additional Notes: The cohort is mentored jointly by Cornell and Pacific Fusion, giving students a single summer spanning university research and commercial fusion development. Applicants from engineering disciplines as well as physics are encouraged to apply.

Accepting International Students: Yes (with possible exception)

Program Overview: Ergodic LLC is a boutique consultancy specializing in computational and AI/ML research for laser-driven inertial fusion. Students may work at the University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics or work remotely. The program typically supports 2–3 students, who also have opportunities to attend DOE workshops and conferences.

Mentorship and Team: Two mentors guide the program, with plans to host 2 students.

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects: Projects explore the use of machine learning and AI agents in computational and theoretical plasma physics relevant to inertial confinement fusion:

Using gradient-based and gradient-free methods to optimize laser fusion simulations.
Adjusting laser bandwidth to mitigate plasma instabilities and improve efficiency.
Using PIC and Vlasov kinetic codes to study laser-plasma interactions
Automating research campaigns using agentic AI

These projects emphasize the intersection of plasma physics, computational science, and AI/ML techniques.

Accepting International Students: Yes

Program Overview: Focused Energy, founded in 2021, is advancing inertial fusion energy (IFE) technologies with approaches such as proton fast ignition, shock ignition, and central hotspot ignition. The company is developing laser-driven power plants to produce clean, sustainable, scalable energy. The summer research program seeks 2–3 undergraduates from diverse STEM fields for a 10-week appointment, emphasizing computational physics and laser development. Students join a collaborative team of scientists and gain hands-on experience with advanced modeling and experiments.

Mentorship and Team: 2–3 mentors will support 2–3 students.

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects:

Running kinetic simulations for laser-plasma interactions
Assisting in the development of laser smoothing techniques
Designing beam geometry for a laser fusion pilot plant

Additional Notes: Focused Energy provides an environment that fosters curiosity and innovation, with opportunities to contribute directly to the design of future fusion power plants.

Accepting International Students: Yes

Program Overview: General Atomics hosts interns within the Inertial Fusion Technologies (IFT) division of its Energy Group, supporting IFE programs for NNSA. Typically, 4–5 interns are hosted each summer for 10 weeks, with opportunities for part-time year-round internships for local students. Interns contribute to projects such as fabricating laser targets for facilities like NIF and OMEGA, developing advanced target manufacturing methods, and creating systems for precision laser engagement with high-speed targets.

Mentorship and Team: Approximately 6 mentors will support 4–5 interns, including some returning students.

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects: Projects focus on developing and testing targets and delivery systems for inertial fusion energy. Example work includes:

Testing target injection systems for launching and tracking spherical targets.
Developing new fabrication and inspection methods for foam shells and capsules.
Optimizing 3D printing for high-precision target components.
Exploring ML/AI tools for laser experiments and data systems.
Adapting reactor design codes for IFE power plant applications.

Accepting International Students: No

Program Overview: Inertia hosts undergraduate researchers within its R&D organization in Livermore, California. Students join one of seven technical teams: Design Physics, Experimental Physics, Target Manufacturing, Mechanical Engineering, Controls & Software, Laser Science, or Scientific Computing. Inertia is developing a commercial inertial fusion energy (IFE) power plant based on the Laser Indirect Drive configuration that achieved ignition at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Each intern is matched to a project based on their background and interests and works with a dedicated technical mentor on real R&D. Past and potential projects include modeling hohlraums and novel beam geometries, building data analysis and machine learning pipelines, designing and testing precision hardware for injectors and fixtures, developing target fabrication and automated metrology processes, simulating fusion chamber conditions, and analyzing commercial and regulatory paths to a fusion power plant.

The program runs 10–12 weeks each summer, with on-site and hybrid options. Interns are paid hourly and fully funded by Inertia. Inertia launched its internship program in 2026 and hosted 12 master’s and PhD students. For 2027, we plan to host 1–5 undergraduates through IFE SURE. This expands our commitment to training the next generation of the fusion workforce and strengthens our ties to the DOE-supported IFE research community.

Mentorship and Team: We anticipate having approximately 5 dedicated mentors in 2027, with each student paired with a mentor for one-on-one guidance throughout the internship. Students: We expect to host approximately 5 students. In addition to their dedicated mentor, students will have access to the broader Inertia team for technical guidance, collaboration, and support throughout the program.

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects: 
 
Students may work across several areas of fusion science and engineering, with projects matched to their interests and technical background. Representative projects include:
Fusion Physics & Diagnostics: Use simulations and computational modeling to study laser–plasma interactions and help design nuclear and X-ray diagnostics for inertial confinement fusion experiments.
Fusion Pilot Plant Optimization: Use our whole-plant modeling framework, StormCaster, to explore fusion power plant designs, evaluate engineering and economic trade-offs, and understand how uncertainty affects plant performance.
 Fusion Engine Science & Engineering: Perform analytical and computational studies that support fusion engine design, including evaluating performance, investigating design questions, and understanding the impact of different physics and engineering assumptions.
Ultrathin Film Testing & Analysis: Study the mechanical survival of ultrathin films at high injection pressures through film fabrication, burst test sample preparation and testing, failure analysis, and statistical analysis. Depending on student interest and experience, the project may also include FEA modeling.
 
Additional notes: The program is open to U.S. citizens pursuing undergraduate degrees in physics, engineering, materials science, computer science, applied math, or related fields. No prior research experience is required, since projects are matched to each student’s skills. Coding (Python, MATLAB, C++) or CAD/hardware experience is helpful. Each intern works with a dedicated mentor on active R&D and presents their work at summer’s end. Inertia builds on the NIF ignition results, and our team includes scientists from that campaign. Our Livermore location puts interns at the heart of the U.S. fusion community. We provide housing support on a case-by-case basis.

Accepting International Students: No

Program Overview: LLNL hosts over 1,000 interns annually, including undergraduates in the Fusion Energy Summer Research Program. This paid 10-week program provides opportunities to contribute to cutting-edge research in physics, engineering, optics, and computational modeling. Students gain hands-on experience in fusion energy science at one of the nation’s leading laboratories, with projects bridging academic research and real-world applications in national security and clean energy.

Mentorship and Team: This is a highly selective program. The IFE program expects to support 10–20 undergraduate students with guidance from expert mentors across multiple research areas.

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects: Students tackle projects such as plasma modeling, fusion target design, diagnostic development, and experimental data analysis. Example projects include:

Developing new diagnostics for ion sources.
Advancing nano-3D-printing techniques using novel photonic systems.
Studying ion collisions under dynamic screening effects.


Additional Notes: International students are eligible to apply. More details are available at lift.llnl.gov/students.

Accepting International Students: Yes

Program Overview: Leonardo offers summer internships designed to provide undergraduates with applied experience in engineering and laboratory operations. Interns contribute to projects in hardware and software development while developing professional skills in organization, confidentiality, and communication. Students gain exposure to tools such as Altium and PSpice for TI, along with industry-standard platforms like Outlook, Teams, and PowerPoint.

Mentorship and Team: Internships are supervised by designated project leads, with day-to-day mentorship provided in lab and software development contexts.

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects:

Improvements to test lab software.
Support for diode pump driver testing.
Assistance with layout and schematic entry tools library development.

Additional Notes: Interns are expected to work up to 40 hours per week. The role is open to students entering their 2nd–4th year of undergraduate study.

Accepting International Students: No

Program Overview: Marvel Fusion is advancing laser-driven inertial fusion energy using ultra-intense femtosecond laser pulses. As a U.S. Department of Energy IFE-STAR industry partner, Marvel collaborates with national labs and universities to pioneer scalable fusion energy systems. The company partners with Colorado State University at the ATLAS laser facility, supporting experimental campaigns, diagnostics development, and high-repetition-rate laser systems. Undergraduate participants will gain hands-on experience in ultrafast laser science, system integration, and data analysis during summer 2027.

Mentorship and Team: 3–6 mentors will guide approximately 3 students.

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects:

Construction and commissioning of next-generation short-pulse lasers and beamlines at ATLAS
Design and installation of opto-mechanical systems for large-aperture optical components
Implementation and testing of control systems for lasers and experimental hardware

Accepting International Students: No

Program Overview: Sandia’s pulsed power sciences center, funded by the DOE NNSA, is home to the Z machine, which is the world’s largest pulsed power facility, the Z-Beamlet and Z-petawatt lasers, and several additional pulsed power capabilities. The center will host dozens of summer interns with interest in pulsed power drivers, magneto-inertial fusion, and other areas of high energy density physics (HEDP). Students will have the opportunity to acquire hands-on experience with pulsed power component testing, HEDP diagnostics, and computational tools.

Mentorship and Team: We anticipate supporting 3 undergraduate students through the IFE-SURE program, each of whom will have their own primary mentor as well as multiple other scientists to engage with.

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects: Students will have the opportunity to work on computational or experimental projects with examples including:
Conduct simulations to develop current pulse shapes for the Z facility and apply them in magnetohydrodynamics simulations of magneto-inertial fusion targets.
Field experiments on the 1-MA Mykonos pulsed power facility to study low-mass transmission lines and electro-thermal instability development
Develop and field optical diagnostics to characterize and predict high-current switch pre-fire events.

Accepting International Students: No

Program Overview: The Laser Plasma Laboratory offers summer research for 1–2 students in laser-produced plasmas and their interaction with matter. Students work on experimental and computational projects in plasma physics, high-power laser dynamics, and materials behavior under extreme conditions. Research supports high-energy-density physics, fusion science, and advanced materials development. Funding is anticipated via NSF or DOE grants.

Mentorship and Team: The laboratory anticipates 2–3 mentors and expects to host 1–2 students.

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects:

Materials synthesis for extreme environments, including High-Entropy Alloys (HEAs) using plasma- or laser-driven non-equilibrium processing.
Characterization of material properties with advanced diagnostics and microstructural analysis.
Modeling laser-produced plasmas under various ambient conditions.
Study of plasma interactions with materials relevant to fusion and energy applications.

Accepting International Students: Yes

Program Overview: The High-Energy Density Science (HEDS) Division at SLAC explores warm dense matter, shocks, and intense laser-plasma interactions in the relativistic regime. Students will gain hands-on experience with high-energy nanosecond and short-pulse lasers, X-ray sources, and advanced diagnostic and simulation techniques. Current research includes critical developments for inertial fusion energy, such as wetted foam investigations using DOE light sources.

Mentorship and Team: The HEDS Division has three mentors available for IFE-SURE students and expects to host 2–3 students.

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects:

DFT analysis of dense IFE hydrogen plasma properties.
PIC simulations of relativistic laser-plasma interaction experiments.
Static foam metrology and SLAC cuvette design studies for lock-load cryogenic wetted foam targets.
Assistance with IFE target injector engineering, design, and data collection in the bunker.
Dynamic foam image analysis.

Accepting International Students: No

Program Overview: The Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University is a nationally recognized leader in quantum optics and laser physics. As a member of the DOE IFE-STAR RISE hub, the institute offers cutting-edge facilities including advanced laser laboratories and more than 10,000 square feet of experimental space. The program will host two undergraduates for a 10-week summer appointment, one focusing on experimental research and the other on theory and modeling. Students receive stipends to support living costs in College Station.

Mentorship and Team: Five faculty, three senior researchers, and four graduate students will mentor two undergraduates.

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects:

Gas laser experiments: investigating photoexcitation processes and emission spectra to improve pumping efficiency for IFE-relevant systems.
Experimental studies of stochastic modulation instability in nonlinear systems, including soliton propagation in photonic crystal fibers.
Theory and modeling of KrF laser scaling and stochastic laser-beam instability dynamics.
Application of statistical methods to extreme event modeling in high-power laser systems.

Additional Notes: Accepted students are expected to participate in a two-week outreach program that teaches high school students and teachers basic quantum and laser fusion sciences. Lodging, meals, and travel expenses are covered by the institute.

Accepting International Students: No

Program Overview: Students will participate in a 9–10 week summer program hosted by the Propulsion Research Center at UAH. The program spans plasma science topics including low-temperature plasmas, magnetic reconnection, laser ablation, plasma diagnostics, dusty plasmas, and space propulsion. Research is funded by NSF, DOE, and NASA.

Mentorship and Team: Two mentors are available, and one IFE-SURE student can be hosted if funding is provided.

Example Active Projects:

Study of laser-produced plasma shock into dusty plasmas 
Torsional magnetic reconnection experiments
Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for hydrogen and deuterium detection on first-wall materials
Thomson scattering diagnostic of different plasmas

Student participation is contingent on IFE-SURE funding for housing, stipend, and related expenses.

Accepting International Students: No

Program Overview: Research will take place in the Nuclear Engineering department at UC Berkeley under the supervision of Prof. Ellie Tubman. One student will be admitted for a duration of up to 10 weeks, funded by NSF or DOE grants. The work will involve collaborations with LBNL and LLNL as well as potentially interacting with fusion start-ups.

Mentorship and Team: Prof. Ellie Tubman will host the student with additional support from graduate students. Up to one student will be accepted.

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects: The research will involve investigations in:
Developing diagnostic tools and codes in areas such as proton detection, electron probing, and Thomson scattering for high-power laser experiments
Looking into studies of the effects of magnetic fields on plasma dynamics
Analysis of data from campaigns on the Omega and Orion laser facilities.

During the placement week, students will have the opportunity to tour pulser module manufacturing and testing facilities and present and discuss their research with industry scientists.

Accepting International Students: Yes

Program Overview: This project will be hosted by Prof. Derek Schaeffer in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UCLA. Up to one student may be supported for up to 10 weeks during the summer, with funding provided by a combination of DOE grants and departmental support. The DOE and NNSA primarily fund the research, which involves experimental work at large national laboratory facilities, including the National Ignition Facility (LLNL), the Z Machine (SNL), and the OMEGA Laser Facility at the University of Rochester.

Mentorship and Team: Prof. Schaeffer will serve as the primary mentor, with additional support from graduate students. Up to one student will be hosted.

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects:

Analysis of proton imaging data from laser-driven shock experiments on the OMEGA EP laser
Learning and applying the principles of proton imaging and Lorentz-force–driven field deflection
Reconstructing electromagnetic field structures from proton radiography data
(If time permits) Analysis of complementary diagnostics such as Thomson scattering, X-ray spectroscopy, or refractive imaging.

Accepting International Students: No

Program Overview: The High Energy Density Science group hosts students from various universities in the United States. The group has both pulsed power and high-power facilities. These facilities are very well equipped with a variety of diagnostics. We offer several projects on various topics, including the mitigation of magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities and radiation effects in pulsed-power Z-pinches. We also study ablation physics in laser-plasma interactions, shock physics, and radiation damage in diagnostics, among others. The Department of Energy funds this research.

Mentorship and Team: There are three mentors available. We can take up to two students.

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects:

Measurement of density and temperature in ablated plasmas using interferometry and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectroscopy.
Data analysis using specialized software for plasma diagnostic interpretation.
Investigation of how laser pulse shape affects temperature and density evolution in plasmas.

Additional Notes: We have several high-power lasers with varying intensity, pulse length, and wavelength to support unique experiments.

Accepting International Students: Yes

Program Overview: The Plasma and Quantum Group (PQG) studies how large magnetic fields influence laser-plasma interactions (LPIs) in inertial fusion plasmas. Combining theory, simulation, and experiments, the group investigates magnetized laser-driven fusion implosions (MagLPIs). PQG collaborates with LLNL and LLE, and with funding support, can host 1–2 IFE-SURE students each summer.

Mentorship and Team: The team includes 1 professor, 1 postdoc, and 4 graduate students, all available to mentor IFE-SURE students.

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects:

Simulation of magnetized laser-plasma interactions using particle-in-cell codes (EPOCH) to study processes such as magnetized crossbeam energy transfer, Raman scattering, Brillouin scattering, and two-plasmon decay.
Experimental analysis of MagLPIs, including diagnostic data from OMEGA laser experiments and design of new experiments (e.g., laser-drive coils and fiber-optic diagnostics).

Additional Notes:
Students should have completed lower-division physics with a GPA >3.3 and be familiar with a programming language (C or Python). Computing and machine shop training are provided. Summer housing is available in undergraduate dorms.

Accepting International Students: Yes

Program Overview: Students will spend 10 weeks conducting an intensive research project within a laboratory affiliated with the Michigan Institute for Plasma Science & Engineering (MIPSE) and/or the ZEUS Laser Facility. Faculty and research staff directly supervise each student, who participates in a structured summer program that includes academic seminars, professional development sessions, and community-building activities. The experience concludes with a research symposium and poster presentation.

Mentorship and Team: We anticipate hosting 1–2 students, with a large pool of mentors available to match students based on their research interests.

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects:

Laser–plasma interactions
Optics and ultrafast laser systems
High-energy-density physics
Target development and diagnostics
Laboratory astrophysics
Additional research areas available at: https://mipse.umich.edu/about.php

Additional Notes: Participants receive a summer stipend, housing in a university residence hall (shared room), and up to $500 in travel reimbursement to and from Ann Arbor.

Accepting International Students: No

Program Overview: The IFE-SURE Summer Program will be hosted by the Laser-Assisted Nano Engineering Laboratory in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The laboratory has established capabilities in laser micro/nanofabrication, two-photon polymerization, coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy, and cryogenic experimentation, providing the facilities and technical expertise needed for advanced fusion-target fabrication and diagnostics. The two-month program will generally run from June through July and is expected to host two students annually. Students will be supported by a three-member mentoring team consisting of Professor Yongfeng Lu, the team leader; Research Assistant Professor Xi Huang; and a senior PhD student. The program builds on the team’s ongoing research in inertial fusion energy target fabrication and pre-implosion diagnostics, including its collaboration with the University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics. These activities align the students’ training with current U.S. Department of Energy priorities in inertial fusion energy.

Mentorship and Team: The program will be supported by a three-member mentoring team consisting of Professor Yongfeng Lu, the team leader; Research Assistant Professor Xi Huang; and a senior PhD student. We expect to host two IFE-SURE students during the two-month summer program.

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects: The IFE-SURE Summer Program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln will provide students with an integrated research experience in advanced fusion-target fabrication and diagnostics. Interns will:

Use two-photon polymerization (TPP) to fabricate spherical inertial fusion energy targets, focusing on high sphericity, nanoscale surface smoothness, millimeter-scale dimensions, and the reduction of defects that can seed hydrodynamic instabilities.
Optimize digital target designs, laser exposure parameters, resin chemistry, and post-processing procedures.
Use cryogenic coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (cryo-CARS) for nondestructive three-dimensional characterization of fabricated targets and cryogenic hydrogen-isotope fuels. Measurements will evaluate shell uniformity, surface and internal defects, and the spatial distribution and segregation of hydrogen-isotope mixtures during condensation and freezing. 

Through exposure to advanced fusion-target fabrication and diagnostic technologies, students will gain hands-on training in target fabrication, optical spectroscopy and microscopy, cryogenic experimentation, and three-dimensional data analysis.

Additional Notes: Undergraduate applicants should have a background in materials science or engineering, with preference for those experienced in laser technologies. Students benefit from direct mentorship under Professor Yongfeng Lu and access to UNL’s specialized laser systems.

Accepting International Students: No

Program Overview: The project will be hosted by Professor Hiroshi Sawada in the Department of Physics at the University of Nevada, Reno. One student may be supported for up to 10 weeks during the summer, with funding from IFE-SURE and Prof. Sawada’s research grant. Relevant to fast-ignition laser fusion, the project will involve experiments, data analysis, and numerical modeling. The work may draw on experiments using high-intensity, short-pulse lasers and/or X-ray free-electron lasers at LCLS and SACLA, as well as the LFEX and GEKKO XII laser systems at the Institute of Laser Engineering at the University of Osaka.

Mentorship and Team: Prof. Sawada will serve as the primary mentor. Graduate and undergraduate members of his research group will provide additional guidance. The group will host up to one student. 

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects: 
 
Design, construction, and commissioning of radiation-shielded X-ray and particle diagnostics at the LCLS MEC endstation
Analysis of X-ray transmission imaging data from isochorically heated, solid-density targets at SACLA
Analysis and modeling of data from dual X-ray and proton radiography experiments conducted using the LFEX laser
Characterization of fast electrons by modeling angularly resolved bremsstrahlung measurements using Monte Carlo and hybrid particle-in-cell codes
 
Additional notes: Applicants should have completed lower-division physics courses with a GPA above 3.0. Participation is contingent upon IFE-SURE funding for housing, stipend, and related expenses. The experimental work may require travel to research facilities. Because arranging this travel requires paperwork, only local students are eligible.

Accepting International Students: No

Program Overview: The Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) runs an 11-week summer program that immerses approximately 80 undergraduates in plasma physics, optics, lasers, materials science, and computational modeling. Of these, about 20 students engage in fusion-related research. Students work within LLE’s research divisions alongside scientists, engineers, and graduate students, gaining both technical training and exposure to large-scale scientific facilities. Participants receive stipends, and many receive housing assistance.

Mentorship and Team: This is a highly selective program. Approximately 20 mentors support 20 students participating in the IFE-SURE program.

Research Focus Areas / Example Projects: Students contribute to the Inertial Fusion Energy–Consortium on Laser–Plasma Interaction Research (IFE-COLoR) hub and other initiatives advancing direct-drive fusion. Research areas include:

Laser–plasma interaction physics
Optics
High-energy-density physics
Materials science for fusion targets
Students also gain experience with large-scale experimental systems and computational modeling tools, preparing them for careers in science, engineering, or advanced study.

Additional Notes: LLE operates the largest university-based laser facility in the world and is a major user facility for inertial confinement fusion. More than 400 users from over 85 institutions conduct research there, underscoring its collaborative and national significance.

Accepting International Students: No