Xcimer Energy

Xcimer Energy Inc., founded in 2022 and based in Denver, Colorado, is developing a novel approach to inertial fusion energy (IFE). The company's primary focus is on creating a high-energy laser system for laser-driven inertial fusion, aiming to make fusion energy commercially viable. Xcimer's technology is designed to produce laser energy up to 10 times higher, with 10 times higher efficiency and over 30 times lower cost per joule than the National Ignition Facility (NIF) laser system that achieved fusion scientific breakeven in December 2022.

The company's approach builds upon laser technologies originally developed for the Strategic Defense Initiative of the 1980s. Xcimer's laser architecture enables much higher laser energies, which allows scaling the fusion performance achieved on the NIF to much higher gain, as well as simplifying the design of a laser fusion power plant. Their system is expected to produce over 10 megajoules of energy, focused on larger deuterium/tritium pellets that are easier to make and handle, and produce more energy when ignited.

In June 2024, Xcimer announced plans to establish a new facility in Denver to build a prototype laser system, including the world's largest nonlinear optical pulse compression system. This prototype, named PHOENIX, is designed to demonstrate a reduction in the cost of laser fusion systems by up to a factor of 60. The company is also developing an integrated design and roadmap for deploying an inertial fusion pilot plant within the next 10 years.