Highlights of progress on the First Light Fusion technical development programme

First Light Fusion is a privately funded fusion energy company specialising in the design and qualification of tailored long pulse acceptance targets for fusion and HED science. Our mission is to enable a simpler, more affordable, path to fusion energy through novel IFE target design. This is driving a rich and varied technology development programme. Here we will present some highlights from the past year of technology development.

Our development path to date has leveraged affordable low power drivers requiring pulse compression to deliver the required intensity for fusion. Building on our legacy of pulsed power platforms, simulation optimised control of energy, and high Z pusher enabled equilibrium ignition targets, unlocks a new low-powered liner driven approache to high gain IFE. These fusion concepts and their early feasibility assessments will be presented.

In parallel to our fusion development, we are continuing to advance our pressure amplification targets as a materials testing and characterisation platform. This supports fusion target design with early revenue and provides a testbed for developing new target loading profile design and control. Early results and concepts from our latest amplifier designs will also be discussed.