LULI will play an important role as a major laser
ICF and IFE support facility in Europe after recent or
future changes (ASTERIX-Garching, CEA-Limeil) in large
laser system programs. We will review the research activities
which have been carried out at LULI during the last 2 years
both in the nanosecond regime and in the subpicosecond
ultraintense regime. As part of the LULI upgrade project,
a new 30-J, 300-fs, 100-TW ultraintense laser chain has
been commissioned in 1997. This laser has allowed the first
complete demonstration of wakefield electron acceleration
and is presently used to study new concepts in laser fusion
and laser–plasma interaction experiments in the relativistic
regime.