Energy Secretary Tours Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory on August 20, 2025

On August 20, 2025, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright toured the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), learning how plasma research supports the fabrication of quantum computing materials. The visit, part of a tour of all 17 Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories, included a presentation by PPPL Director Steven Cowley detailing the laboratory’s fusion strategy and research portfolio. Present during the visit were Jennifer Rexford, provost and Gordon Y.S. Wu Professor in Engineering at Princeton University, Samuel Bigger, DOE Princeton Site Office manager, and Jean Paul Allain, associate director of the Fusion Energy Sciences program at the DOE’s Office of Science. PPPL, founded over 70 years ago, focuses on plasma research, alongside innovations in chip fabrication and quantum computing.

On August 20, 2025, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright toured the new Quantum Diamond Laboratory at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) to observe how plasma shapes the fabrication of quantum computing materials. The visit coincided with an intensifying race toward reliable fusion energy and anticipated forthcoming decisions in Washington with significant potential impact. Founded over 70 years ago, PPPL leads American research into plasma, identified as the electrically charged fourth state of matter.

Researchers at PPPL utilise artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced methods to further national scientific priorities, including the delivery of commercial fusion energy to the electrical grid, innovation in chip fabrication techniques, and the development of quantum computing and sensing technologies. This tour formed part of Secretary Wright’s mission to visit all 17 of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) national laboratories.

During the visit, Secretary Wright met with leadership from PPPL, Princeton University, the DOE, and private industry partners. PPPL Director Steven Cowley presented the laboratory’s history, its fusion strategy, and its overall research portfolio. Present during the visit were Jennifer Rexford, provost and the Gordon Y.S. Wu Professor in Engineering and professor of computer science at Princeton University, Samuel Bigger, DOE Princeton Site Office manager, and Jean Paul Allain, associate director of the Fusion Energy Sciences program in the DOE’s Office of Science. PPPL possesses unique strengths in fusion energy, quantum computing, and AI, establishing it as a world-class research laboratory.