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Engineering
NNSA Administrator Williams visits LLNL to discuss stockpile modernization, AI and future deterrence
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Brandon Williams visited Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Feb. 9 for briefings and tours focused on stockpile modernization, AI, supercomputing and the future of deterrence. During the visit, Williams met with LLNL…
Light-based 3D printing lets scientists program plastic properties at the microscale
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have co-developed a new way to precisely control the internal structure of common plastics during 3D printing, allowing a single printed object to seamlessly shift from rigid to flexible using only light. In a paper published today in Science, the researchers describe a technique called crystallinity regulation…
LLNL’s energy scale-up brainstorming event focused on accelerating pilot-ready technologies
Solving tomorrow’s challenges in energy security requires scientists to develop new pathways to streamline innovation. To help achieve this goal, the Global Security Directorate at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) recently hosted an “Energy Scale-up Brainstorming Day.” More than 60 researchers across a broad range of expertise gathered to engage in interactive…
Computing the future with Science on Saturday
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL) popular lecture series, “Science on Saturday,” will return on Feb. 7 and continue through Feb. 28 at Las Positas College in Livermore, Calif. The series features four engaging lectures under the theme “Computing the Future!” highlighting cutting-edge Laboratory research that uses the power of computing, from molecular biology…
Discover LLNL’s Autonomous Sensors program in the latest episode of the Big Ideas Lab podcast
When disaster strikes, every second counts, but sometimes the danger is too great for humans to go first. From mapping terrain to reaching deep underground to detect hidden threats and abandoned wells, unmanned systems equipped with advanced sensors are changing how we respond to crises. Across land, air and sea, drones can act as one coordinated force to increase the…
Fusion Power Associates honor NIF target innovator Abbas Nikroo
Abbas Nikroo, deputy director for physics integration at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's (LLNL) National Ignition Facility (NIF), received the 2025 Distinguished Career Award by Fusion Power Associates (FPA). The FPA board of directors honored Nikroo for his “outstanding decades of unwavering commitment and leadership in scientific and management of the…
Registration now open for LLNL summer education programs
Registration is now open for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL’s) summer science education programs. Summer 2026 offerings provide hands-on student experiences aligned with several LLNL research themes. Applications for summer 2026 are open now through Feb. 26. SAGE | June 8–12, onsite (Livermore Valley Open Campus) Science Accelerating Growth Engagement (SAGE…
Two LLNL scientists elected as 2026 Optica fellows
Optica recently elected 121 members from 23 countries to the society’s 2026 fellow class. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists Mark Henesian and Brent Stuart were among those honored by the scientific society. Optica fellows are selected based on outstanding contributions to research, business, education, engineering and service to Optica and the optics…
Pandora mission demonstrates new model for low-cost, high-impact science
On Monday, Jan. 12, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), in partnership with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and Blue Canyon Technologies, announced the successful launch of the Pandora satellite into Earth’s orbit, initiating a yearlong mission to advance atmospheric characterization of planets beyond our solar system, also known as exoplanets. Pandora…
LLNL opens applications for 2026 Machinist Apprenticeship Program
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) today opens the application period for the 2026 cohort of the Machinist Apprenticeship Program, a four-year training path that develops the next generation of precision machinists for the Engineering Directorate. The program combines hands-on experience with occupation-related coursework, offering apprentices the opportunity to…
Precision and partnership: JASPER surpasses 200 experimental shots
The Joint Actinide Shock Physics Experimental Research (JASPER) facility recently surpassed 200 full-containment experimental shots, marking more than two decades of precision operations, scientific advancement and collaboration in support of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) stockpile modernization programs. Since its first actinide experiment in 2003,…
3D-printed helixes show promise as THz optical materials
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have optimized and 3D-printed helix structures as optical materials for Terahertz (THz) frequencies, a potential way to address a technology gap for next-generation telecommunications, non-destructive evaluation, chemical/biological sensing and more. The printed microscale helixes reliably create circularly…
LLNL and Energy I-Corps take science from big ideas to big market impact
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) pursues big ideas to solve the most important security challenges facing the U.S. and the world. In that pursuit, scientific breakthroughs with market potential are discovered, protected and licensed to (or collaborated on) with industry partners through a process called technology transfer. LLNL’s Innovation and Partnerships…
Undergraduate interns explore nuclear physics research at LLNL
Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) recently helped launch a new internship program aimed at connecting with undergraduate students at two nearby California State University (CSU) campuses and inspiring them to consider a science-focused research career. The new program, which started in early 2025, involves multiple staff and postdocs from the Lab…
Energy-efficient process delivers rare-earth element for magnets
Neodymium is a rare-earth element essential for producing the strongest permanent magnets, which are widespread in defense technologies, hard drives, medical imaging devices, electric vehicle motors, wind turbines and more. Despite its designation in the U.S. as a critical material, neodymium is primarily mined and refined overseas. China controls much of the supply chain,…
Turning wastewater into valuable fertilizer
Almost half of the planet’s population depends on synthetic fertilizers to grow the food they eat. But that fertilizer comes at a cost — about two percent of the world’s energy budget. Improving efficiency and cutting costs of producing fertilizer would have big, global impacts. To that end, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) are developing a…
LLNL conducts milestone nuclear survivability experiment at NIF, moving weapons modernization forward
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has conducted an experiment at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to assess the ability of U.S. nuclear weapons to survive encounters with adversary missile defenses and reach their targets. This experiment demonstrated a new capability to analyze nuclear materials under extreme conditions, advancing stockpile modernization…
From inception to ignition and beyond: Suhas Bhandarkar’s target fabrication career
Tiny parts and absolute meticulousness define Suhas Bhandarkar’s award-winning 20-year career at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). As group leader for Target Fabrication Science and Technology (S&T), he leads a team that helps transform LLNL’s physicists’ bold ideas into reality at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Bhandarkar’s path began with a B.S…
STEM San Joaquin celebrates third year of inspiring young minds
STEM San Joaquin marked its third anniversary on Saturday, Nov. 15, at the University of the Pacific (UOP) in Stockton. Co-sponsored by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and UOP, the annual event welcomed students in grades 6–9 for a day of hands-on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) exploration. The conference is organized by a dedicated team of…
LLNL’s designs enable delivery of W80-4 subassembly First Production Unit ahead of schedule
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) recently announced the diamond stamping of the first production unit (FPU) of a canned subassembly (CSA) for the W80-4 Life Extension Program, achieved 18 months ahead of schedule at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. As design agency for the W80-4, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)…
