"Breakthrough in Direct-Drive Inertial Confinement Fusion Exceeds Energy Input"

Scientists from the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics have developed an effective "spark plug" for direct-drive methods of inertial confinement fusion (ICF), demonstrating the ability to achieve fusion reactions that produce more energy than the amount of energy in the central hot plasma. The experiments, conducted using the OMEGA laser system, represent a significant step towards achieving fusion at a future facility and offer promising implications for the future of laser fusion technology.