N. Alexander

Papers

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About

N. Alexander is a leading figure in the automation of high-precision target fabrication for inertial confinement fusion (ICF), with a career dedicated to scaling the experimental throughput of the world’s most powerful laser facilities. Their primary research focuses on developing robotic systems for the assembly, metrology, and mounting of fusion targets, directly addressing the critical bottleneck of manual, labor-intensive production. Alexander’s most impactful work, "Automation of NIF Target Fabrication" (2016, 18 citations), outlines strategies to double the shot rate at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) following a congressionally mandated efficiency study. This contribution is foundational for enabling the high-repetition-rate experiments needed to advance fusion energy. Further contributions include the development of a pioneering robotic system featuring dual six-axis arms, high-precision glue dispensing, and advanced vision systems, detailed in "A Robotic System for High-Throughput-Rate Target Assembly" (2011). By integrating metrology directly into the assembly process, as shown in their 2017 work (9 citations), Alexander has helped General Atomics maintain its role as a key supplier for major facilities like the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI), pushing the frontier of automated precision manufacturing for extreme physics.