Basic and integrated studies are conducted on fast ignition (FI) using various large laser systems. A Peta watt (PW) laser system is used to study the basic elements relevant to FI and can also be injected to a compressed core to test the FI integrated experiment when coupled with a GEKKO twelve laser beam system. Using a spherical target inserted with a Au cone guide for the PW laser pulse, an imploded core is heated up to 1 keV resulting in neutron increase 1000 times more than that without heating pulse. Details of the implosion are examined at the Omega laser system of this type target with indirect implosion scheme and are compared with simulation results. LASNEX simulation indicates that a 400 g/c.c. high density core could be achieved with this scheme at 1.8 MJ laser input. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.