Laser fusion — also called inertial confinement fusion (ICF) or inertial fusion energy (IFE) — uses powerful laser beams to compress and ignite a small fuel capsule containing hydrogen isotopes, triggering a fusion reaction. It is the only fusion approach that has ever achieved scientific breakeven in a laboratory setting, demonstrated at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in December 2022.