Xcimer Energy's Laser Fusion Prototype Enters Testing Phase: Phoenix on Track for 2026 Completion

Xcimer Energy has reached a critical milestone in its laser fusion commercialization journey. The Denver-based company has begun testing what it claims is the world’s highest-energy KrF laser system built this century—a key component powering its “Phoenix” prototype. The prototype marks a significant step toward making laser-generated fusion a practical energy source rather than a laboratory curiosity.

Phoenix Prototype: Engineering on Schedule

The Phoenix pulse compression prototype is designed to generate laser pulses with precise optical characteristics needed to ignite inertial fusion fuel capsules. Xcimer Co-founder and CEO Conner Galloway confirmed the system remains on-schedule and on-budget, with full completion targeted for the first half of 2026. This timeline matters because it directly feeds into the company’s broader commercialization roadmap.

The company’s technical approach leverages a novel laser architecture that significantly reduces costs compared to solid-state laser systems like those deployed at Lawrence Livermore’s National Ignition Facility (NIF)—which achieved scientific breakeven in December 2022. By combining proven hotspot-ignited laser-inertial fusion science with novel engineering, Xcimer is betting it can scale what national labs demonstrated into a commercially viable energy source.

Vulcan: The Next Frontier

Beyond Phoenix, Xcimer is developing Vulcan, a next-generation high-yield laser fusion facility engineered to achieve engineering breakeven by 2031. Vulcan is expected to deliver up to 12 megajoules (MJ) of laser energy using the largest laser amplifiers ever constructed—making it potentially the world’s brightest, highest-energy laser system, surpassing comparable facilities in France and China’s Mianyang region.

The company is currently in a multistate site selection process to determine Vulcan’s location. Competing regions include Colorado (Xcimer’s headquarters), Texas, New Mexico, California, and additional states. Local utilities and community development agencies are actively submitting competitive proposals, recognizing that hosting such a facility would attract workforce development opportunities, infrastructure investment, and potentially downstream industries like advanced data centers and robotics manufacturing.

Why This Matters for the Broader Energy Landscape

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Colorado Representative Gabe Evans visited Xcimer’s Denver laser bay to review progress firsthand, signaling federal-level interest in the company’s trajectory. Colorado State University Chancellor Tony Frank also attended the briefing. The high-level attention reflects growing recognition that laser fusion—unlike other fusion approaches—has already demonstrated scientific breakeven at scale through public-sector research.

Xcimer was founded in 2022 by Conner Galloway and Alexander Valys, both formerly at Los Alamos National Lab, specifically to accelerate the transition from government-funded research to private-sector energy production. The company now employs over 150 people, primarily headquartered in Denver, with additional manufacturing operations in Tucson, Arizona. It has received backing from climate tech investors and U.S. Department of Energy funding support.

The Competitive Timeline

If execution stays on course, Xcimer’s progression looks like this: Phoenix completion by mid-2026, followed by Vulcan construction targeting completion around 2030, with engineering breakeven demonstration in 2031. Achieving those milestones would represent a meaningful acceleration of fusion commercialization timelines relative to other private fusion ventures, most of which haven’t yet published specific energy-positive operation dates.