inertial confinement fusion (ICF)

Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is a process that aims to recreate the energy production of the sun on a small scale. It involves focusing powerful lasers or particle beams onto tiny fuel pellets containing hydrogen isotopes. The energy rapidly compresses and heats the pellet, causing nuclear fusion—where atomic nuclei combine to release a large amount of energy. If achieved efficiently, ICF could provide a nearly limitless, clean energy source, but it remains a complex scientific challenge due to the extreme conditions needed to sustain fusion reactions reliably.