From space to the laboratory: The race for fusion energy

It is not an understatement to say that we are entering a fusion energy era. The quest for fusion energy has been a longstanding endeavour which has taken the scientific community more than half a century to demonstrate energy gain. This was achieved for the first time at the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the largest laser in the world, in December 2022. Since then, the energy gain from the experiment has increased consistently, reaching a record of x2.4 in February 2024. Achieving a burning plasma in the laboratory has validated the physics of inertial fusion and has opened the doors to its commercialisation in views of a clean and abundant energy source. This path, however, comes with new, complex scientific challenges particularly in physics and engineering. Solving these challenges requires a strong synergy between academia, national labs and industry.

In this talk I will go through some of my experiences in the field of high-energy density physics, the study of matter at extreme conditions of pressure, density and temperature, and its close relation to inertial fusion energy. My path has taken me from designing and performing experiments looking at strong shocks for laboratory astrophysics, to managing research collaborations between First Light Fusion and academics. I will give an overview of First Light’s mission, research goals and where do we fit within the UK inertial fusion landscape.