Phoenix by Xcimer Energy: status and timeline

Milestones

Next · Anvil 200 kJ commercial-scale demo

First e-beam KrF laser in private sectorMay 2025Complete.
Phoenix operational with 1 kJ pulsesJun 2026Complete.
Anvil 200 kJ commercial-scale demoTarget 2028Not yet reached.
Vulcan 4–12 MJ engineering breakevenTarget 2031Not yet reached.
Athena 400 MW commercial plantTarget 2035+12 mo~~originally 2034~~Not yet reached.

Most important updates

Xcimer Phoenix laser begins operations; world's largest privately owned laser systemJun 2026
Xcimer completes first private-sector e-beam KrF excimer laser with record 3-microsecond pulseMay 2025

Upcoming

2028Anvil 200 kJ commercial-scale demo (next)
2031Vulcan 4–12 MJ engineering breakeven
2035Athena 400 MW commercial plant+12 mo~~originally 2034~~

Current obstacles

Scaling e-beam KrF to megajoule levelPhoenix is 1 kJ; Vulcan targets 4–12 MJ. Solving thermal, stability, optical durability.
Molten salt performance at high energySalt must withstand intense neutron and thermal flux without erosion or corrosion.
Beam pointing accuracy at commercial scaleMultiple beams must align with mm precision thousands of times per day.

Physics limits

KrF wavelength and efficiency limitsDeep UV (248 nm) cannot convert to longer wavelengths for better focusing; set by physics.
Molten salt thermal conductivityHeat removal limited by salt's mass flow rate and specific heat; constrains power.

How it works

4 parts

Pumping

E-beam ionizes KrF gas

Electron beam ionizes krypton-fluorine gas to excited state; scalable approach.

Amplification

KrF molecules emit UV laser light

Excited KrF decays, emitting UV light in amplifier stages that build up strong beam.

Compression

SBS compresses pulses for fusion

SBS converts long pulses into short, intense nanosecond pulses required for fusion.

Target irradiation

Focused pulses compress fuel

Compressed pulse focused on mm-scale fuel target; fusion chain reaction ignites.

Spec sheet

Spec	Phoenix
System length	38 m^R (reported)
Pulse energy	1 kJ^R (reported)
Facility footprint	74,000 sq ft^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Papers & demos

1 item

May 2025demo
First e-beam KrF excimer in private sectorProves viability of scaling e-beam lasers.

Update log

2 updates

Jun 2026

Major: Xcimer Phoenix laser begins operations; world's largest privately owned laser systemPressHardware

May 2025

Major: Xcimer completes first private-sector e-beam KrF excimer laser with record 3-microsecond pulsePressHardware

About Xcimer Energy

The team behind Phoenix

Xcimer Energy

Excimer laser fusion, KrF laser, molten salt

Laser inertial confinement fusion startup founded 2022, Denver. Uses KrF excimer lasers and molten salt chambers. DOE approved Athena 400 MW power plant design June 2026.

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.

Company profile →

Founded: 20224 yrs
Headquarters: United States
Status: Private
Valuation: private
Works in: EnergyFusion
Coverage: 2 programs · 3 updateslatest 1 Jun 2026checked 11 Oct
Partners: U.S. Department of Energy
People: Conner GallowayFounder, CEO & Chief Scientific OfficerAlexander ValysFounder, President & Chief Technology Officer

Spec

Phoenix

System length

38 m^R (reported)

Pulse energy

1 kJ^R (reported)

Facility footprint

74,000 sq ft^R (reported)