Inertial confinement fusion is a research field and methodological approach aimed at achieving controlled thermonuclear fusion. It investigates the physics of high-energy-density plasmas created by the rapid compression and heating of a small fuel target using powerful drivers (such as lasers or particle beams), where the fuel's inertia provides temporary confinement sufficient for significant fusion reactions to occur. This approach is significant for its potential as a future source of clean energy, its contributions to fundamental high-energy-density physics, and its relevance to national security applications.