The brief
- Phoenix laser operational June 2026: world's largest privately owned laser, 1 kJ.
- DOE approved Athena pre-conceptual design June 2026: 400 MW power plant mid-2030s.
- Molten salt chamber self-renews, no first-wall replacement; laser cost <$100/joule.
Technical approach
Laser design
Electron-beam-pumped KrF excimer
E-beam ionizes krypton-fluorine gas; scalable and efficient. Cheaper than solid-state lasers.
Pulse compression
Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS)
SBS compresses long pulses into nanoseconds required for fusion, enabling more energy on target.
Fusion chamber
Molten salt heat capture
Molten salt waterfall absorbs fusion energy and drives turbines. Continuously renews itself.
Cost reduction
Economic laser and chamber design
E-beam KrF targets <$100/joule; molten salt eliminates expensive structural replacements.
