Research Areas
Target Fabrication
GOALS
- Develop mass-producible high-gain targets at required repetition rates and affordable cost
- Demonstrate target survivability during injection, and accurate insertion and tracking
OVERVIEW: Targets for inertial fusion energy power plants will require standard, low-cost designs that are mass-produced in quantities as high as a million targets per day per power plant. Today, targets for inertial confinement fusion or high-energy-density proof-of-principle experiments are fabricated to exquisite precision. Extensive research and development is required to develop new fabrication techniques to manufacture low-cost targets that achieve significantly higher yields.
Known Challenges
Quality and Plant Compatibility
- A fuel system that consistently produces required IFE plant gain
- Fabrication at required quality for minimal driver energy penalty (including sphericity, surfaces, voids, foam, and support)
- Material compatibility with cost-effective radiological waste, recycling streams
- A cost-effective tritium fuel cycle
Injection
- A cryogenic target that can survive the injection speed and thermal load from environment
- Trajectory is controlled and meets laser pointing requirements up to 15 Hz
Mass Production and Rep-Rating
- Scalable to IFE plant needs: about 106 targets per day for less than 50 cents each
- “Burst mode” demo of about 102 targets per day at IFE plant rate and cost (specific to test facility needs)
Our Projects
- IFE STARFIRE Hub Thrust 3: Target manufacturing and engagement
- Target Injector Nexus for Experimental Development
Resources
- LLNL Researchers Explore Next-Gen 3D Printing to Harness Fusion Energy
- “Printing the Future of Fusion Targets.” Science & Technology Review, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Apr.–May 2025




