Breakthrough at the NIF paves the way to Inertial Confinement Fusion Energy

S. Atzeni, D. Batani, C. N. Danson, L. A. Gizzi, S. Le Pape, J-L. Miquel, M. Perlado, R.H.H. Scott, M. Tatarakis, V. Tikhonchuk, L. Volpe

Abstract

In August 2021, at the National Ignition Facility of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the USA, a 1.35 MJ fusion yield was obtained. It is a demonstration of the validity of the Inertial Confinement Fusion approach to achieve energy-efficient thermonuclear fusion in the laboratory. It is a historical milestone that the scientific community has achieved after decades of efforts.