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Future for Inertial Fusion Energy in Europe: A roadmap
Publicated to:High Power Laser Science And Engineering. 11 e83- - 2023-09-28 11(), DOI: 10.1017/hpl.2023.80
Authors: Batani, D; Colaïtis, A; Consoli, F; Danson, CN; Gizzi, LA; Honrubia, J; Kühl, T; Le Pape, S; Miquel, JL; Perlado, JM; Scott, RHH; Tatarakis, M; Tikhonchuk, V; Volpe, L
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Abstract
The recent achievement of fusion ignition with laser-driven technologies at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) sets a historic milestone in fusion energy research. This milestone paves the way for using laser inertial fusion as a viable approach for future energy production. Europe has a unique opportunity to empower research in this field internationally, and the scientific community is eager to engage in this journey. We propose establishing a European program on Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) with the mission to demonstrate laser-driven ignition in the direct drive scheme and to develop pathway technologies for the commercial fusion reactor. The proposed roadmap is based on four complementary axes: i) the physics of laser-plasma interaction and burning plasmas, ii) high energy high repetition rate laser technology, iii) fusion reactor technology and materials, and iv) reinforcement of the laser-fusion community by international education and training programmes. We foresee collaboration with universities, research centres, and industry and establishing joint activities with the private sector involved in laser fusion. This project aims to stimulate a broad range of high-profile industrial developments in laser, plasma, and radiation technologies along with the expected high-level socio-economic impact.
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Quality index
Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel
The work has been published in the journal High Power Laser Science And Engineering due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2023, it was in position 18/119, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Optics.
From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from World Citations provided by WoS (ESI, Clarivate), it yields a value for the citation normalization relative to the expected citation rate of: 2.68. This indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: ESI Nov 14, 2024)
This information is reinforced by other indicators of the same type, which, although dynamic over time and dependent on the set of average global citations at the time of their calculation, consistently position the work at some point among the top 50% most cited in its field:
- Weighted Average of Normalized Impact by the Scopus agency: 3.04 (source consulted: FECYT Feb 2024)
- Field Citation Ratio (FCR) from Dimensions: 18.08 (source consulted: Dimensions Jun 2025)
Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2025-06-17, the following number of citations:
- WoS: 12
- Scopus: 21
Impact and social visibility
Leadership analysis of institutional authors
This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Czech Republic; France; Germany; Greece; Italy; United Kingdom.
There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: Last Author (VOLPE, LUCA).