The discussion centers on the feasibility of laser-driven proton-boron fusion as a viable alternative energy source, particularly due to its lack of neutron output. The authors propose achieving ignition using a laser with a peak power of 30 PW over 1 ps, significantly higher than the current 10 PW achieved with 24 fs pulses. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) produces 4 MJ pulses but operates at a much longer duration, making it unsuitable for this application. The consensus is that while not impossible, the technical challenges and costs associated with developing a suitable machine render this approach highly questionable.
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mfb said:10 PW is the peak power of the most powerful laser pulses achieved so far - for 24 fs. They want 30 PW over 1 ps, a factor 3 more power and a factor 40 longer, for a factor 120 in pulse energy (30 kJ instead of 240 J). You have to get 1 pulse per second to produce electricity worth $100 million per year - which means you probably want several times this rate or several lasers to make a power plant interesting.
The NIF produces 4 MJ pulses with a length of 20 ns distributed over something like 200 beams, or 20 kJ per beam - the right amount of pulse energy, although the pulses are a factor 20,000 too long. It can fire a few shots per day, after each shot the amplifiers have to cool down for hours.
I don't say it is impossible, but even if all the predictions are accurate: Testing these predictions would need a one-of-a-kind machine, and the price of a power plant is completely unclear.