An Efficient Ray-Tracing Laser Model for IFE-Scale Radiation Hydrodynamics at Xcimer Energy

Abstract:

We present a high-fidelity laser model developed at Xcimer Energy to capture critical laser-plasma interaction (LPI) physics relevant to inertial fusion energy (IFE) systems. Our approach combines geometric ray tracing with Gaussian beamlet decomposition to simulate the propagation and absorption of high-energy laser light in complex plasma conditions. The model includes inverse bremsstrahlung absorption [1], refractive beam steering, and caustic formation, while offering scalability to multi-beam, multi-nanosecond drive configurations. Benchmark comparisons with analytical models and full-wave simulations demonstrate the fidelity and efficiency of the method. This solver will be integrated into our radiation hydrodynamics framework, enabling future studies of plasma blowoff, evolving density gradients, and self-consistent laser energy deposition in IFE targets.

References:

[1] D. Turnbull, J. Katz, M. Sherlock, L. Divol, N. R. Shaffer, D. J. Strozzi, A. Colaïtis, D. H. Edgell, R. K. Follett, K. R. McMillen, P. Michel, A. L. Milder, and D. H. Froula, Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 145103 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.145103

Acknowledgements:

This work has been supported by AWS Compute for Climate Fellowship 2025.

This work supports Xcimer’s mission to advance next-generation laser fusion, with simulation tools that inform optical system design, pulse shaping strategies, and risk mitigation for instabilities such as filamentation and stimulated scattering.