Optical Testing on the Nova Laser Fusion Program*

Abstract

NOVA is a ten-beam, seventy-four cm output aperture Neodymium:fluorophosphate laser designed to perform laser fusion experiments at 1054 nm wavelength 80-120 Kilojoule and 100 ps to 3 ns pulse length. The cost of the initial phase is $134M with approximately 90% of that being for outside procurement. The laser contains several thousand optical elements including polarizing beamsplitters, laser rods and amplifier disks, aspheric lenses, spatial filter lenses and turning mirrors.