NIF uses notoriously inefficient lasers. They lase fine. Just not efficiently. From what I've seen, that 200 MJ would be closer to 20 MJ with modern equipment.
Still a gap! And there is still making the fuel, making and replacing the reactor as well as collection losses. But we're within two orders of magnitude of system break even, which is closer than we've ever been.
NIF uses notoriously inefficient lasers. They lase fine. Just not efficiently. From what I've seen, that 200 MJ would be closer to 20 MJ with modern equipment.
Still a gap! And there is still making the fuel, making and replacing the reactor as well as collection losses. But we're within two orders of magnitude of system break even, which is closer than we've ever been.