How inertial fusion works

Charge the capacitors, amplify 192 laser beams, heat a tiny gold can until it glows with x-rays, and crush a fuel capsule until it ignites. Follow the record shot from the laser bays to the burn. Every number comes from one model.

Sources: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, NIF FY2025 annual report (Apr 7, 2025: 8.6 MJ from 2.08 MJ, gain 4.13, 456 TW peak; 5.2 MJ in Feb 2024); LLNL, first ignition Dec 5, 2022 (3.15 MJ from 2.05 MJ). Capsule and can sizes are approximate; the compression, timing within the shot, port angles and bay length are illustrative. NIF is a national laboratory; the companies below are building on the same physics for power. Others on this approach: Pacific Fusion, Xcimer Energy, Focused Energy.