Excimer laser development for fusion

The future utility of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) requires a new driver. Successful experiments coupling laser energy to targets and our understanding of fuel capsule behavior strongly suggest that a laboratory thermonuclear source is attainable and power production may be considered if a suitable driver with high efficiency, high repetition rate, and most importantly, low capital cost, can be identified. No adequate driver exists today. However, the krypton fluoride laser holds great promise. By the end of this decade, driver development can be brought to the point that a technically justifiable choice can be made for the future direction of ICF.