February 1, 2005, San Jose, CA--JDS Uniphase has been awarded a contract to provide electro-optic modulators for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) Project at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). When completed in 2008, NIF is expected to be the largest laser in the world. As part of this 192-beam laser system NIF is using custom designed and manufactured JDS Uniphase lithium niobate modulators.
NIF's 192 beams will produce a combined 500 trillion watts of power in an ultraviolet laser pulse with energy up to 1.8 megajoules. With JDS Uniphase design expertise and transmission modulators, which are critical for precise pulse shaping, the NIF laser can perform a broad range of applications in high-energy-density, inertial fusion energy, and basic science research.
"NIF's phase and amplitude modulators must meet the stringent technical requirements," said Dr. George Miller, LLNL associate director for National Ignition Facility Programs. "These custom modulators were developed in partnership between the NIF laser design team and JDS Uniphase engineers."
"We believe our broad portfolio of analog, digital, and custom modulators, coupled with our industry-leading expertise in integrated optics, allow us to meet very unique needs for our customers' mission-critical designs, such as the NIF project," said Mike Ricci, vice president of the Components and Modules Group at JDS Uniphase. "Even as we address customers' current needs, meeting challenges on innovative projects such as NIF has allowed us to refine skills that are critical to developing cutting-edge commercial applications."