Fusion energy research at the European XFEL: Current capabilities and future perspectives

The European XFEL in Schenefeld near Hamburg provides unprecedented opportunities to study matter under extreme conditions relevant to inertial fusion energy (IFE). Recent workshops and studies have outlined a coordinated strategy to exploit XFEL capabilities for diagnosing high-energy-density (HED) plasmas, characterizing fusion-relevant targets, and benchmarking hydrodynamic and radiation-transport models.

In my talk, I will present the current capabilities of the HED-HIBEF instrument together with a roadmap for fusion-energy research at the facility. The program emphasizes precision X-ray probing of laser-driven plasmas, the development of dedicated diagnostics and target platforms, and the integration of a multi-kJ high-power laser at a new XFEL beamline for next-generation fusion experiments. These efforts aim to establish the European XFEL as a central hub for cross-disciplinary fusion-energy research, bridging basic plasma physics and applied energy science.