What LaserNetUS does

LaserNetUS is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science Fusion Energy Sciences (DOE-FES) program established in 2018 following recommendations from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. It operates as a coordinating consortium for 11 high-power laser facilities located at premier U.S. national laboratories (SLAC, Lawrence Livermore, Lawrence Berkeley) and research universities (University of Rochester, Colorado State University, University of Michigan, UCLA, Ohio State University, University of Central Florida, University of Maryland), plus the Advanced Laser Light Source at INRS in Canada. The network provides peer-reviewed access to petawatt-class laser systems, laser-plasma accelerators, advanced X-ray sources, and supporting capabilities such as target fabrication, with demonstrated research outputs spanning laser-plasma science, inertial fusion energy, high-energy-density laboratory plasma physics, attosecond science, and national-security applications including laser-driven MeV X-ray tomography.

The program's core service is structured beam-time access through two proposal mechanisms — Regular User Proposals and Joint Research Initiatives — administered via the Universal Proposal System and reviewed by the Proposal Review Panel on scientific merit (75%) and broader impact (25%). Supporting offerings include travel and Materials & Supplies mini-grants for awarded Principal Investigators, the IFE-SURE undergraduate research program (targeting 100 students in 2026), interdisciplinary topical courses such as the 2025 Warm Dense Matter curriculum, annual meetings, workshops, and seminars. The program does not charge users for beam time; all access is funded by DOE-FES and associated federal sponsors, with the program itself operating as a non-commercial coordinating layer under SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory's administrative umbrella.

Since inception, LaserNetUS has supported 1,642+ researchers across academia, national laboratories, industry, and government, awarded 172 experiments from 370 peer-reviewed proposals (~50% per-cycle success rate), produced 92+ peer-reviewed publications and 44+ PhD theses, and was featured as a case study in the OECD 2025 report on research infrastructure ecosystems. Current strategic priorities include the FY27 program renewal, leadership transition following the January 2026 Coordinator change, expansion of the workforce development pipeline, and broadening of the user base into private-sector and national-security applications.

Name

LaserNetUS

Legal name

LaserNetUS

Website

https://lasernetus.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LaserNetUS is a DOE Fusion Energy Sciences-funded consortium coordinating peer-reviewed access to 11 high-power laser facilities across U.S. universities, national laboratories, and Canada, serving academic, government, and industry researchers in laser-plasma science, inertial fusion energy, and high-energy-density physics research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Research Infrastructure

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Academic & Scientific Conferences (MPAGAGAD), Public Research Universities with National Laboratories/Big Science Facilities (EDAHAAAJ)

Keywords

• High-power laser facilities
• Laser-plasma research
• Research consortium access
• Inertial fusion energy
• Scientific beam time

Headquarters

HQ city

Menlo Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. DOE-FES Grant Funding: LaserNetUS is a government-funded research consortium supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science Fusion Energy Sciences (DOE-FES). The program provides beam time at member facilities free of charge to approved researchers. Limited funding is available for Principal Investigators whose proposals are selected, including domestic travel and Materials and Supplies (M&S) mini-grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

LaserNetUS coordinates a network of 11 high-power laser facilities across U.S. universities and DOE national laboratories (plus one Canadian partner) to provide peer-reviewed researchers with no-cost beam time for experiments in laser-plasma science, inertial fusion energy, and high-energy-density physics. The consortium operates a Universal Proposal System through which users submit proposals, which are evaluated by a Proposal Review Panel based on scientific merit (75%) and broader impact (25%). Supporting offerings include Joint Research Initiatives, workforce development programs, travel grants, and Materials & Supplies mini-grants for awarded experiments.

Product overview

LaserNetUS is a consortium of 11 high-power laser facilities spanning universities and national laboratories across the United States and Canada. The network provides user access to advanced laser systems for research in laser-plasma science, inertial fusion energy, high-energy-density physics, and related fields. The core offering consists of beamtime access through two proposal mechanisms: Regular User Proposals for independent experiments and Joint Research Initiatives for collaborative projects with facility Co-PIs. Supporting services include workforce development programs, travel grants, and materials supplies grants. The consortium is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Fusion Energy Sciences and managed by SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Advanced Beam Laboratory (ABL) High-power laser facility at Colorado State University providing access to cutting-edge laser systems for experiments in inertial fusion energy, high energy density science, and related fields.
• Advanced Laser Light Source (ALLS) High-power laser facility at Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) in Canada, offering advanced laser capabilities for the research community.
• Berkeley Lab Laser Accelerator (BELLA) Center Laser accelerator facility at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory focused on laser-plasma acceleration research and applications.
• Institute for the Frontier of Attosecond Science and Technology (iFAST) Attosecond science facility at University of Central Florida specializing in ultrafast laser phenomena and high temporal resolution experiments.
• Jupiter Laser Facility (JLF) High-power laser facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory featuring STILETTO laser and other advanced systems for high-energy-density experiments.
• Laboratory for Intense Laser-Matter Interaction Physics (ILMIP) Laser-matter interaction facility at University of Maryland focused on plasma physics and high-energy-density science experiments.
• Laboratory for Laser Energetics: OMEGA EP Laser facility at University of Rochester housing the OMEGA EP laser system for inertial confinement fusion and high-energy-density physics research.
• Matter in Extreme Conditions (MEC) High-energy-density physics facility at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory combining high-power lasers with X-ray probes.
• Michigan Target Research and Fabrication (MiTRF) Target fabrication facility at University of Michigan providing specialized manufacturing services for laser targets and components.
• Phoenix Laser Laboratory High-repetition-rate laser facility at UCLA specializing in machine learning-assisted and autonomous laser-plasma experiments.
• Scarlet Laser Facility High-power laser facility at Ohio State University offering access to advanced laser systems for the research community.
• Regular User Proposals Independent, user-led experiments requiring minimal facility support. Users assemble multidisciplinary teams to design and execute experiments with facility diagnostics and capabilities.
• Joint Research Initiatives (JRI)

Quantifiable outcome

• 172 experiments awarded from 370 peer-reviewed proposals since 2018
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• NSF ZEUS Laser FacilitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Joint hosting of 2026 LaserNetUS Meeting, July 13-15, 2026 in Rochester, NY. Partnership expands collaborative opportunities between the two major laser research networks.
• U.S. Department of Energy Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (DOE-FES)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Primary funder and strategic partner. DOE-FES established LaserNetUS following NASEM recommendations and provides ongoing funding and oversight for the consortium of high-power laser facilities across the U.S.
• SLAC National Accelerator LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages LaserNetUS operations and website. Houses the Matter in Extreme Conditions (MEC) instrument as a member facility. Provides administrative infrastructure including the Universal Proposal System.
• IFE-STAR (Inertial Fusion Energy - Science and Technology Accelerated Research)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership connecting undergraduate students with cutting-edge research opportunities in inertial fusion energy and related fields. Co-sponsors IFE-SURE program targeting 100 students in 2026.
• Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with CSU's Advanced Beam Laboratory on laser-driven X-ray imaging technology for national security applications, including non-destructive testing of critical components.
• Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) UKmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration with CSU on laser-driven X-ray technology for defense applications, enabling cross-border research partnerships in high-power laser science.
• High Energy Density Science Center at Lawrence Livermore National LaboratorymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative offering of interdisciplinary Warm Dense Matter course with University of South Florida and UC San Diego, providing educational opportunities for students and professionals.
• University of South FloridamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Warm Dense Matter course collaboration, providing academic credit for students from U.S. institutions.
• University of California, San DiegomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Warm Dense Matter course collaboration, with Prof. Farhat Beg serving as contact for quarter-system students.
• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHouses Jupiter Laser Facility as a member facility. Dr. Derek Mariscal conducted Joint Research Initiative experiments at UCLA Phoenix Laser Laboratory, demonstrating machine learning integration with high-power laser applications.
• University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHouses Phoenix Laser Laboratory as a member facility. Collaboration with LLNL on autonomous physics-guided high-repetition-rate laser-plasma experiments using machine learning.
• Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHouses the BELLA Center (Berkeley Lab Laser Accelerator) as a member facility. Cameron Geddes serves as LaserNetUS facility head and APS DPP Chair.
• University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser EnergeticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHouses OMEGA EP facility as a member facility. Dr. Mingsheng Wei serves as LaserNetUS Chair. Birthplace of chirped pulse amplification (CPA) technology invented by Donna Strickland and Gérard Mourou (2018 Nobel Prize).
• Colorado State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHouses the Advanced Beam Laboratory (ABL) as a member facility, including the ALEPH laser system. Research demonstrated landmark 3D CT imaging using laser-driven X-ray sources.
• University of MichigancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHouses the Michigan Target Research and Fabrication (MiTRF) facility and Scarlet Laser Facility. Carolyn Kuranz serves as LaserNetUS facility head and APS DPP Chair-Elect/Chair.
• Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHouses the Advanced Laser Light Source (ALLS) as the only Canadian member facility of the LaserNetUS network.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory: SLAC is a DOE national laboratory that hosts LaserNetUS's headquarters, manages its operations and website, and operates the Matter in Extreme Conditions (MEC) facility. As a broader scientific institution, SLAC provides administrative backbone and serves as a comparable large-scale DOE-funded research infrastructure operator.
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL): LBNL hosts the BELLA Center, a LaserNetUS member facility specializing in laser-plasma acceleration. It is a peer national laboratory operating major high-power laser infrastructure under DOE stewardship with comparable user-access programs.
• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL): LLNL houses the Jupiter Laser Facility, a core LaserNetUS member facility, and is the home laboratory of the National Ignition Facility (NIF). It is a peer in operating large-scale high-power laser infrastructure for national security and fusion research, and is a key partner for LaserNetUS user access.

Others

• Brookhaven National Laboratory: Brookhaven is a DOE national laboratory that co-developed the Universal Proposal System (UPS) with SLAC and Argonne for LaserNetUS proposal management. It is an enabling infrastructure peer providing shared technology platforms for distributed user-access research networks.
• Argonne National Laboratory: Argonne is a DOE national laboratory that co-developed the Universal Proposal System (UPS) with SLAC and Brookhaven. As a peer national laboratory supporting user-access programs and proposal infrastructure, Argonne is an enabling peer in the broader DOE-funded research infrastructure ecosystem.
• DOE Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES): FES is LaserNetUS's primary funder and parent organization within DOE's Office of Science. As the federal program office stewarding fusion energy sciences research, FES funds and oversees comparable research infrastructure programs and serves as the strategic counterpart for LaserNetUS's continued operation.

Direct peers

• Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI): ELI is the European Union's distributed network of high-power laser facilities, operating petawatt-class systems across the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Romania. It is the most direct international peer to LaserNetUS, providing similar user-access models for laser-plasma research and competing for global high-intensity laser science talent.
• University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE): LLE houses the OMEGA EP facility — a core LaserNetUS member facility — and is the birthplace of chirped pulse amplification (2018 Nobel Prize). It is a direct peer in operating premier high-power laser user-access infrastructure for inertial confinement fusion and high-energy-density physics research.
• NSF ZEUS Laser Facility: ZEUS is the National Science Foundation's flagship high-repetition-rate petawatt laser facility at the University of Michigan. It is a closely comparable U.S. peer operating in the same high-power laser user-access space, and is already co-hosting the 2026 LaserNetUS Annual Meeting with the network.

Emerging players

• IFE-STAR (Inertial Fusion Energy Science and Technology Accelerated Research): IFE-STAR is a collaborative program co-sponsoring LaserNetUS's IFE-SURE undergraduate research initiative. It is a thematic peer focused on accelerating inertial fusion energy science and technology development, with overlapping goals of workforce development and translational IFE research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/LaserNetUS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@lasernetus
• Facebookfacebook.com/lasernetus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lasernet-us
• Instagraminstagram.com/lasernetus

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LaserNetUS