Laser-driven inertial confinement fusion, power source of the future?


Tammy Ma Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (United States)

Constantin L. Haefner, Fraunhofer-Institute for Laser Technology (Germany)

Fusion ignition has been achieved at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Liver-more National Laboratory. This experimental result, decades in the making, is a major scien-tific breakthrough for laser-driven inertial confinement fusion. This talk will present the exper-imental results and the many technological innovations that made this achievement possible, including advances in photonics. It will also place this achievement in the broader context of its significance to the scientific community. The implications of this achievement for future research in laser inertial confinement fusion as a sustainable and safe source of clean energy will also be discussed.

Tammy Ma is Program Element Leader for High-Intensity Laser HED Science, Advanced Photon Technologies, Lead, Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) Institutional Initiative, at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory LLNL.

Constantin L. Haefner is Director, Fraunhofer-Institute for Laser Technology, Commissary Fusion Research, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, and head of the Expert Group on Laser Inertial Fusion, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.