Principal Investigators

Jonathan D. Zuegel
University of Rochester
Principal Investigator/Project Director, NSF OPAL

Jon Zuegel is a Professor of Optics and the Laser Development and Engineering Division Director and a Distinguished Scientist and at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) at the University of Rochester. At LLE, Dr. Zuegel leads a multidisciplinary technical staff for developing, producing, and maintaining laser technology, custom equipment, and the infrastructure needed to conduct research at LLE. Dr. Zuegel joined LLE in 1996 after completing his Ph.D. in Optics from The Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester.

His specific areas of research interest are in the fields of solid-state lasers, nonlinear optics, electro-optics and laser diagnostics. He is currently involved in laser research and development efforts including: diode-pumped lasers, optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA), high-speed electro-optic devices for laser switching and modulation, fiber laser systems, and advanced laser beam smoothing. His research activities support advanced laser systems for laser fusion and high-field physics in the OMEGA and OMEGA EP laser systems at LLE, as well as the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the Dynamic Compression Sector (DCS) of the Advanced Light Source at Argonne National Laboratory, and the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

A Fellow of Optica (formerly OSA), Dr. Zuegel has authored over 140 publications in his field. His educational background includes a B.S. and Masters of Engineering in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University, and he previously served in the U.S. Navy assigned to the Division of Naval Reactors in the Department of Energy.

Ani Aprahamian
University of Notre Dame
Co-PI, Laser-Driven Nuclear Physics

Ani Aprahamian, the Frank M. Freimann Professor of Physics and Concurrent Professor of Chemistry & BioChemistry, joined the faculty at the University of Notre Dame in 1989 and has held several leadership positions, including Chair of the Physics Department from 2003-2006 and Director of the Nuclear Science Laboratory from 2001-2006.

Her research interests include studying the evolution of nuclear structure, the origins of heavy elements in the universe, and applications of nuclear science to energy and medicine. Dr. Aprahamian has published over 200 peer-reviewed papers and given more than 200 invited talks at conferences worldwide.

Among her many honors, Dr. Aprahamian is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Chemical Society. She is also an elected foreign member of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia.

Dr. Aprahamian has served on numerous national and international advisory committees in nuclear science. She has held leadership roles with organizations like the American Physical Society’s Division of Nuclear Physics and the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee. From 2018-2023, she was the director of the Alikhanyan National Science Laboratory in Armenia, becoming the first woman and first diaspora Armenian to hold this position.

Antonino Di Piazza
University of Rochester
Co-PI, High-Field Physics and Quantum Electrodynamics

Antonino is a Professor of Physics at the University of Rochester and a Distinguished Scientist at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics. He joined the University of Rochester in April 2023 after a distinguished career at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany.

Dr. Di Piazza’s research focuses on quantum electrodynamics in strong electromagnetic fields, laser-matter interactions at high intensities, and radiation reaction effects. He has made pioneering contributions to the physics of extremely strong laser fields, including laser-induced radiation reaction and pair production.

After completing his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of Trieste in 2004, Dr. Di Piazza worked at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, where he became head of the “High-Energy Quantum Electrodynamics” group in 2009. He obtained his habilitation from Heidelberg University in 2011 and the Italian habilitation for full professorship in Theoretical Physics of Fundamental Interactions in 2014.

Dr. Di Piazza is a highly cited researcher, with over 1,800 citations for his 2012 review paper on extremely high-intensity laser interactions with fundamental quantum systems. He has published extensively in top physics journals and has given numerous invited talks at international conferences.

At the University of Rochester, Dr. Di Piazza continues his research on quantum electrodynamics in strong fields, properties of the quantum vacuum, and laser-matter interactions at high intensities. His expertise and research align well with the cutting-edge work being done at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics.

Franklin J. Dollar
University of California Irvine, Strobe STC
Co-PI, Particle Acceleration and Advanced Light Sources

Franklin Dollar is a is a Professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of California, Irvine. He currently serves as the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies for the UCI School of Physical Sciences.

Dr. Dollar’s research is in high-energy-density science, particle acceleration, and advanced light sources using high intensity lasers. He specializes in laser plasma interactions with short pulse laser systems, performing high intensity laser experiments and numerical modeling of proton and light ion acceleration, directed neutron generation, near and above critical density light matter interactions, and the generation of soft and hard x-rays.

After completing his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in 2012, Dr. Dollar held research positions at JILA before joining UC Irvine as an Assistant Professor in 2015. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2019 and full Professor in 2023.

Dr. Dollar is actively involved in efforts to increase diversity in STEM fields, with a particular focus on recruiting American Indian students. He is an enrolled member of the Dry Creek Band of Pomo Indians. His honors include being named a Kavli Fellow, a Sloan Research Fellow, and a Fellow of the American Physical Society. Dr. Dollar also leads UCI’s participation in the NSF Science and Technology Center STROBE and is a recipient of the NSF CAREER award. He currently serves as a member of the DOE Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC).

Eva Zurek
University at Buffalo, CMAP PFC
Co-PI, Laboratory Astrophysics and Planetary Physics

Eva Zurek is a Professor of Chemistry at the University at Buffalo and an expert in computational materials science. Her research focuses on using theoretical and computational methods to study the electronic structures of molecules and solids, with a particular emphasis on predicting stable phases at high pressures.

Dr. Zurek leads a research group that develops and applies computational tools for materials discovery. She played a key role in creating XtalOpt, an open-source computer program for crystal structure prediction. Her work has contributed significantly to the search for new superconductors and the study of chemistry under extreme conditions.

At the University at Buffalo, Dr. Zurek is a Distinguished Professor and holds appointments in the Department of Chemistry and as an adjunct faculty member in physics and chemical and biological engineering. She has published over 160 scientific papers and received funding from various U.S. government agencies, including the National Science Foundation and Department of Energy. She is also a member of Center for Matter at Atomic Pressures, hosted at the University of Rochester, which is designated as a National Science Foundation (NSF) Physics Frontiers Center.

Dr. Zurek’s expertise has been recognized with several honors, including being named a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 2022. She is also known for her efforts in science communication, having been interviewed by major media outlets about advancements in materials discovery. Dr. Zurek received her Ph.D. from the University of Stuttgart in Germany and has been contributing to the field of computational chemistry and materials science for over a decade.