Foams as a Pathway to Energy from Inertial Fusion

The perspective of reaching ignition using high power lasers such as the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in the USA or the Laser MégaJoule (LMJ) in France is significantly closer today thanks to technical advances (e.g. the ability to manufacture high-density carbon shells doped with high-Z elements) and to an increased knowledge of the underlying fundamental physics. Following the same logic, a eurofusion project (FOPIFE) has been funded to study the physics of nano-structured medium/foams in a fusion framework. Foams are envisioned for various applications: increase laser to matter coupling, reduce laser imprint, enable high repetition rate implosion at reduced cost. In this presentation, I will go over the various challenges and benefits associated to the use of foams for Inertial Fusion Energy and the effort in Europe to answer these questions.