The
Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) is a scientific research facility which is part of the
University of Rochester's south campus, located in
Brighton, New York. The lab was established in 1970 and its operations since then have been funded jointly; mainly by the
United States Department of Energy, the University of Rochester and the
New York State government. The Laser Lab was commissioned to serve as a center for investigations of high-energy physics, specifically those involving the interaction of extremely intense
laser radiation with matter. Many types of scientific experiments are performed at the facility with a strong emphasis on
inertial confinement, direct drive, laser-induced
fusion using OMEGA, currently the world's highest-energy
ultraviolet laser. The lab shares its building with the Center for Optoelectronics and Imaging and the Center for Optics Manufacturing. A new addition, the
Robert L. Sproull Center for Ultra High Intensity Laser Research, was opened in 2005 and houses the OMEGA EP laser, which was completed in May 2008.