Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Physics awarded $599,225 to the University of Colorado through the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) on July 15, 2026, with completion targeted for June 30, 2029. This Project Grant funds experimental and computational research on magnetized crossbeam energy transfer—a laser-plasma interaction process examining how strong magnetic fields alter energy exchange between intersecting laser beams with different polarizations. The research will be conducted at the Omega Laser Facility at the University of Rochester in collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and will test the hypothesis that magnetic fields suppress coupling between parallelly polarized lasers while enabling coupling between perpendicularly polarized lasers.

The deliverables include experimental findings on magnetic field effects on laser beam interactions, advanced computer models incorporating machine learning techniques for data analysis and experiment-simulation comparisons, and publications enabling technology transfer to national laboratories and private sector fusion energy developers. The award also supports workforce development through training of one undergraduate student, one graduate student, and one postdoctoral researcher in high-energy-density science. Results are intended to improve the reliability and performance prediction of laser-driven fusion experiments with applications to national security, industrial, and medical technologies.