The prospect of laser fusion in the 21st century

Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) has developed remarkably in the last 30 years. In the 21st century, we can expect fusion energy for civilian use. After the cold war era, the value of ICF has shifted from defense demands to peaceful applications. The megajoule laser systems are under construction expecting the development of spark ignition. However there are many problems to solve in science and technology. One alternative way is to use a petawatt short-pulse laser aiming for fast ignition. On the way to the final goal, we would like to contribute for various applications of high power lasers such as laboratory astrophysics, X-ray lasers, laser-induced lightning as well as laser processing.