Fusion

Benchtop accelerator links electrochemistry to fusion science The post Electrochemical loading boosts deuterium fusion in a palladium target appeared first on Physics World.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia have shown that a small bench-top reactor can enhance nuclear fusion rates by electrochemically loading a metal with deuterium fuel. Unlike massive magnetic confinement reactors, their experiment uses a room-temperature setup that packs deuterium into palladium like a sponge, boosting the likelihood of fusion events.

A 1989 experiment offered the promise of nuclear fusion without the need for high temperatures, but this "cold fusion" was quickly debunked. Now, some of the techniques involved have been resurrected in a new experiment that could actually improve efforts to achieve practical fusion power

Scientists at the University of California San Diego have uncovered how diamond—the material used to encase fuel for fusion experiments at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory—can develop tiny structural flaws that may limit fusion performance.

Using a small bench-top reactor, researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have demonstrated that electrochemically loading a solid metal target with deuterium fuel can boost nuclear fusion rates.

Practical fusion power that can provide cheap, clean energy could be a step closer thanks to artificial intelligence. Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have developed a deep learning model that accurately predicted the results of a nuclear fusion experiment conducted in 2022. Accurate predictions can help speed up the design of new experiments and accelerate the quest for this virtually limitless energy source.

Called Thunderbird, the beer-fridge-sized nuclear reactor is supported by relatively simple electrochemical concepts.

Accurate predictions could accelerate the design of new experiments and bring practical fusion power closer. The post This AI Model Predicts Whether Fusion Power Experiments Will Work appeared first on SingularityHub.

Author(s): David Gribble, Christian Iliadis, Robert V. F. Janssens, Udo Friman-Gayer, Akaa D. Ayangeakaa, Art Champagne, Emily Churchman, William Fox, Steven Frye, Xavier K.-H. James, Samantha R. Johnson, Richard Longland, Antonella Saracino, Nirupama Sensharma, Kaixin Song, and Clay WegnerRecent observations of red giant stars in a globular cluster in the outer halo of the Milky Way revealed a puzzling anomaly in the abundance of chemical elements that cannot be explained by common cluster evolution models. The authors use nuclear resonance fluorescence, a powerful method for determining the spins and parities of astrophysically relevant nuclear resonances, to selectively photoexcite several low-lying levels in 31 P that would be challenging to access with

Researchers at the National Ignition Facility achieved nuclear fusion ignition with the help of an AI program that essentially told them they were on the right track.

Scientists have developed a lightning-fast AI tool called HEAT-ML that can spot hidden “safe zones” inside a fusion reactor where parts are protected from blistering plasma heat. Finding these areas, known as magnetic shadows, is key to keeping reactors running safely and moving fusion energy closer to reality.

A public‑private partnership between Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory has led to a new artificial intelligence (AI) approach that is faster at finding what's known as "magnetic shadows" in a fusion vessel: safe havens protected from the intense heat of the plasma.

A new class of advanced steels needs more fine-tuning before use in system components for fusion energy—a more sustainable alternative to fission that combines two light atoms rather than splitting one heavy atom. The alloy, a type of reduced activation ferritic/martensitic or RAFM steel, contains billions of nanoscale particles of titanium carbide meant to absorb radiation and trap helium produced by fusion within a single component.

A research team led by Prof. Guo Bin from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has designed and optimized an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) system specifically for recovering low-grade waste heat from the steady-state Chinese Fusion Engineering Testing Reactor (CFETR) based on organic fluid R245fa, achieving enhanced thermal efficiency and reduced heat loss.

The company is still working on a way to reliably generate energy from fusion with its prototype, called Polaris. The post While Helion seeks nuclear fusion breakthrough, site work begins appeared first on Power Engineering.

Lithium is considered a key ingredient in the future commercial fusion power plants known as tokamaks, and there are several ways to use this metal to enhance the process. But a key question remained: How much does it impact the amount of fuel trapped in the walls of tokamaks?

The alchemist's dream is to make gold from common metals, but can this be done? The physics needed to explain how to change one element into another is well understood and has been used for decades in accelerators and colliders, which smash sub-atomic particles together.

A startup energy company, called Marathon Fusion, may soon be living out the dream of alchemists from the Middle Ages. In a recently released paper posted to the arXiv preprint server, the company outlines a method to turn an isotope of mercury, 198Hg, into 197Au, the most stable form of gold.

Energy startup Marathon Fusion claims to have found a scalable way to turn mercury into gold, but they still have much to prove.

Lee Packer delivered the Cockroft Walton lecture series across three institutions in India easlier this year The post Lee Packer: ‘There’s no fundamental physical reason why fusion energy won’t work’ appeared first on Physics World.

A research team led by Prof. Sun Youwen from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed two innovative artificial intelligence (AI) systems to enhance the safety and efficiency of fusion energy experiments.

The European Commission has approved an investment of €202m for a particle accelerator in the Grenada region of southern Spain, around a quarter of the expected total construction cost. The… The post EU announces €200m contribution to Spanish fusion research facility appeared first on Global Construction Review.

Google has taken a major step toward the future of clean energy by partnering with Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), an MIT spin-out working to build one of the world’s first commercial fusion reactors.

Some of the faintest, coldest stars in the universe may be powered not by fusion—but by the annihilation of dark matter deep within them. These “dark dwarfs” could exist in regions like the galactic center, where dark matter is thickest. Unlike typical stars, they glow without burning hydrogen, and their heat could come from invisible particles crashing into each other inside. If we spot one, especially without lithium (a chemical clue), it could point us straight to the true identity of dark matter.

A groundbreaking collaboration between Los Alamos scientists and Duke University has resurrected a nearly forgotten 1938 experiment that may have quietly sparked the age of fusion energy. Arthur Ruhlig, a little-known physicist, first observed signs of deuterium-tritium (DT) fusion nearly a decade before its significance became clear in nuclear science. The modern team not only confirmed the essence of Ruhlig s original findings but also traced how his work may have inspired key Manhattan Project insights.

Fusion energy holds the potential to shift a geopolitical landscape that is currently configured around fossil fuels. Harnessing fusion will deliver the energy resilience, security, and abundance needed for all modern industrial and service sectors. But these benefits will be controlled by the nation that leads in both developing the complex supply chains required and…

Proxima Centauri b is the closest known exoplanet that could be in the habitable zone of its star. Therefore, it has garnered a lot of attention, including several missions designed to visit it and send back information. Unfortunately, due to technological constraints and the gigantic distances involved, most of those missions only weigh a few grams and require massive solar scales or pushing lasers to get anywhere near their target.

Google has signed an offtake agreement for 200 MW of power from Commonwealth Fusion Systems’ (CFS) developing fusion power plant. The post Google signs nuclear fusion power offtake agreement appeared first on Power Engineering.

Proxima Centauri b is the closest known exoplanet that could be in the habitable zone of its star. Therefore, it has garnered a lot of attention, including several missions designed to visit it and send back information. Unfortunately, due to technological constraints and the gigantic distances involved, most of those missions only weigh a few grams and require massive solar scales or pushing lasers to get anywhere near their target. But why let modern technological levels limit your imagination when there are so many other options, if still theoretical, options to send a larger mission to our nearest potentially habitable neighbor? That was the thought behind the Master’s Thesis of Amelie Lutz at Virginia Tech - she looked at the possibility of using fusion propulsion systems to send a few hundred kilogram

Breakthroughs from two rival experiments, Germany’s Wendelstein 7-X and the Joint European Torus, suggest the elusive dream of controlled nuclear fusion may be within reach

InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips Nuclear fusion is real, and it’s scaling fast. Here’s how AI is helping unlock clean, limitless power – and why investors are piling in now. The post The Untold Story of Nuclear Fusion, AI, and the Future of Energy appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Net power through nuclear fusion may finally be within reach. Fusion technology is moving out of the lab, and many companies, driven by the shared dream of carbon-free energy to combat climate change, are striving to commercialize technologies to make fusion a reality. The post Nuclear Fusion, Climate Change, and IP Rights: Striking the Right Balance appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Westinghouse Electric Co. and officials with the ITER project in France signed a contract for $180 million for the assembly of the vacuum vessel for the fusion reactor. This is a key milestone in the construction of the ITER reactor, leading the way toward the use of fusion as a practical future source of reliable carbon-free energy. The post Westinghouse, ITER Sign $180-Million Contract to Advance Nuclear Fusion appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Tech giant Google has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) to buy at least 200 MW of energy from CFS’s planned fusion-based power plant in Chesterfield County, Virginia. The deal announced June 30 is the latest among companies in the technology and artificial intelligence (AI) space to secure the power […] The post Google Signs Deal to Buy Fusion Energy From Future Virginia Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Scientists have developed a groundbreaking technique called RAVEN that can capture the full complexity of an ultra-intense laser pulse in a single shot—something previously thought nearly impossible. These pulses, capable of accelerating particles to near light speed, were once too fast and chaotic to measure precisely in real time. With RAVEN, researchers can now instantly “photograph” the pulse’s shape, timing, and polarization, revealing subtle distortions that could make or break high-energy experiments. This innovation has huge implications—from perfecting particle acceleration to inching closer to controlled fusion energy and probing new physics.

It can be found inside gas giants such as Jupiter and is briefly created during meteorite impacts or in laser fusion experiments: warm dense matter. This exotic state of matter combines features of solid, liquid and gaseous phases. Until now, simulating warm dense matter accurately has been considered a major challenge.

A Los Alamos collaboration has replicated an important but largely forgotten physics experiment: the first deuterium-tritium (DT) fusion observation. As described in the article published in Physical Review C, the reworking of the previously unheralded experiment confirmed the role of University of Michigan physicist Arthur Ruhlig, whose 1938 experiment and observation of deuterium-tritium fusion likely planted the seed for a physics process that informs national security work and nuclear energy research to this day.

World of Photonics delegates hear about the need to scale up laser diode and optics production for a potentially giant future market.

In an elegant fusion of art and science, researchers at Rice University have achieved a major milestone in nanomaterials engineering by uncovering how boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs)—touted for their strength, thermal stability and insulating properties—can be coaxed into forming ordered liquid crystalline phases in water. Their work, published in Langmuir, was so visually striking it graced the journal's cover.

Author(s): W. Tornow, S. W. Finch, J. B. Wilhelmy, M. B. Chadwick, G. M. Hale, J. P. Lestone, and M. W. ParisFusion of the two heavy hydrogen isotopes deuterium with tritium is important for future energy production. The authors attempt to reproduce an early experimental result by Arthur J. Ruhlig (published in the Physical Review in 1938, but not cited until 2023) that suggested Ruhlig had observed the so-called “DT” reaction, 3 H( d , n ) 4 He in a secondary reaction (see figure). In the

The work is an important step to understanding the physics at the heart of inertial confinement fusion The post Simulation of capsule implosions during laser fusion wins Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion Outstanding Paper Prize appeared first on Physics World.

When commercial AI meets the world’s most ambitious science experiment, nuclear fusion, surprising things start to happen

Author(s): Mingyun Cao and P. H. DiamondA model that includes propagating voids predicts the extent of plasma turbulence in a tokamak. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 235101] Published Wed Jun 11, 2025

Author(s): Rachel BerkowitzA model that includes propagating voids predicts the extent of plasma turbulence in a tokamak. [Physics 18, s79] Published Wed Jun 11, 2025

The buzz around nuclear fusion has kicked into overdrive in recent years.

Nuclear fusion power will probably require vast quantities of enriched lithium – but we aren’t making nearly enough, and ramping up production will mean using toxic mercury

Germany's Wendelstein 7-X stellarator has set a new benchmark for fusion reactors, bringing commercial, near-limitless clean energy one step closer to reality.

Oxidoreductases are key enzymes in biocatalysis, but their dependence on the cofactor nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate) (NAD(P)) presents challenges due to its high consumption and associated costs. Improving the cofactor utilization efficiency of these enzymes in biocatalysis is of great significance.

On May 22, the latest experimental campaign concluded at the world's most powerful nuclear fusion device of the stellarator type. Through collaboration between researchers from Europe and the U.S., Wendelstein 7-X achieved, among other milestones, a world record in a key parameter of fusion physics: the triple product. This value now exceeds previous tokamak records for long plasma durations.

As the focus on energy resiliency and competitiveness increases, the development of advanced materials for next-generation, commercial fusion reactors is gaining attention. A recent paper published in the journal Current Opinion in Solid State & Materials Science examines a promising candidate for these reactors: ultra-high-temperature ceramics, or UHTCs.

Nuclear fusion reactors are highly powerful technologies that can generate energy by fusing (i.e., joining) two light atomic nuclei to form a heavier nucleus. These fusion reactions release large amounts of energy, which can then be converted into electrical power without emitting greenhouse gases.

The bundle of magnets at the heart of the U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory's (PPPL) National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U) is the star of the show.

Author(s): Katerina P. Hilleke, Valentin V. Karasiev, S. B. Trickey, R. M. N. Goshadze, and S. X. HuWarm dense matter (WDM) is the materials regime that bridges condensed matter and plasmas that occurs in giant-planet centers and the state trajectory of inertial confinement fusion experiments. Predictive density functional theory simulations of WDM must use an explicitly temperature-dependent free-energy exchange-correlation functional. Incorporating thermal effects at the meta-GGA level of refinement, the newly developed fully thermal fTSCAN functional provides high accuracy across the entire temperature and pressure range from ambient to extreme conditions. Tests on model systems highlight the contributions of thermal and density inhomogeneity effects, while molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate accuracy for materials ranging from

A recent publication by University of Guam Marine Laboratory scientists, "Restoration innovation: Fusing microbial memories to engineer coral resilience," suggests a novel framework that pairs fundamental biology with applied biology to innovate in restoration ecology. The research is published in the journal One Earth.

Fusion energy technology is advancing quickly with supercomputers and AI. One startup says it has proven technology that could work at a power plant.

Fusion energy technology is advancing quickly with supercomputers and AI. One startup says it has proven technology that could work at a power plant.

The National Ignition Facility, home of the first net-positive fusion reaction, is back with an even more powerful energy shot.

The inaugural Fusion Fest by Economist Impact featured more than 450 attendees from around the world The post Fusion industry meets in London to discuss ‘one of the economic opportunities of the century’ appeared first on Physics World.

Canadian firm says it is needs to “navigate a difficult environment” The post General Fusion lays off staff due to ‘unexpected and urgent financing constraints’ appeared first on Physics World.

Arianna Gleason is an award-winning scientist at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory who studies matter in its most extreme forms—from roiling magma in the center of our planet to the conditions inside the heart of distant stars. During Fusion Energy Week, Gleason discussed the current state of fusion energy research and how SLAC is helping push the field forward.

Author(s): K. Lee, C. Theiler, M. Carpita, O. Février, A. Perek, M. Zurita, D. Brida, R. Ducker, G. Durr-Legoupil-Nicoud, B. P. Duval, S. Gorno, D. Hamm, D. S. Oliveira, F. Pastore, M. Pedrini, H. Reimerdes, L. Simons, E. Tonello, K. Verhaegh, Y. Wang, and C. Wüthrich (the TCV Team and the EUROfusion Tokamak Exploitation Team)Fusion reactor experiments in Switzerland have demonstrated a new way to remove unwanted heat from a magnetically confined plasma. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 185102] Published Wed May 07, 2025

Author(s): Charles DayFusion reactor experiments in Switzerland have demonstrated a new way to remove unwanted heat from a magnetically confined plasma. [Physics 18, s60] Published Wed May 07, 2025

A new shortcut can help engineers design leak-proof magnetic confinement systems for fusion reactors 10 times as fast as the gold standard method, without sacrificing accuracy. While several other big challenges remain for all magnetic fusion designs, this advance addresses the biggest challenge that's specific to a type of fusion reactor first proposed in the 1950s, called a stellarator.

Abundant, low-cost, clean energy—the envisioned result if scientists and engineers can successfully produce a reliable method of generating and sustaining fusion energy—has taken one step closer to reality, as a team of researchers from the University of Texas at Austin, Los Alamos National Laboratory and Type One Energy Group has solved a longstanding problem in the field.

Government officials in Germany are supporting development of a nuclear fusion pilot plant. Officials have said they want nuclear fusion to be a priority of the country’s energy agenda, barely two years after the country decommissioned its last three operating nuclear power plants in April 2023 at the direction of then-chancellor Angela Merkel. The post Groups Collaborate on Projects for Fusion Energy in Germany appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Urtopia's Carbon Fusion GT is not just a pretty ride, the developers also focused on its tech and functional aspects.

In a landmark achievement for fusion energy, ITER has completed all components for the world's largest, most powerful pulsed superconducting electromagnet system.

TAE Technologies claims its setup produces 100 times the power of other designs at half the cost, but the road to commercial fusion is littered with hype.

A research team from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a novel large-scale compound cryopump (multi-stage cryopump) capable of separating fuel particles from helium ash.

A team of fusion researchers at TAE Technologies, Inc., in the U.S., working with colleagues from the University of California, has developed a new type of fusion technology that the company claims produces 100 times the power of other designs while costing just half as much to run. Their study is published in the journal Nature Communications.

An innovative algorithm for detecting collisions of high-speed particles within nuclear fusion reactors has been developed, inspired by technologies used to determine whether bullets hit targets in video games. This advancement enables rapid predictions of collisions, significantly enhancing the stability and design efficiency of future fusion reactors.

The U.S. leads the world in fusion energy research. It can’t squander that lead like it did with microchips

Pulsar Fusion just released a video showcasing its planned Sunbird nuclear fusion rocket, which is designed to reach speeds of about 329,000 mph (500,000 kph).

Multiple companies aim to generate power by corraling plasma with twisted magnets

Series B 'extension' includes backing from Siemens Energy Ventures and the European Innovation Council.

Vanadium oxide pores selectively sequester sieve lithium isotopes

Nuclear fusion is a source of great hope for future energy security, with this field being explored in research reactors around the world. Accurately detecting their performance requires measurement systems that supply valid data even under extreme conditions. And the centerpiece of those systems are the bolometers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Microengineering and Microsystems IMM. Experts from the institute will be presenting their sophisticated sensors at the joint Fraunhofer booth (Hall 2, Booth B24) at this year's Hannover Messe trade show from March 31 to April 4.

Successfully harnessing the power of fusion energy could lead to cleaner and safer energy for all—and contribute substantially to combating the climate crisis. Towards this goal, Type One Energy has published a comprehensive, self-consistent, and robust physics basis for a practical fusion pilot power plant.

A multibillion-dollar project is set to be constructed in China, the country's latest move in a push for nuclear energy.

Researchers have determined that six gas valves provide the best protection against plasma disruptions in SPARC, a next-generation, experimental fusion system. By refining the setup for the fusion vessel's massive gas injection system, researchers are ensuring that disruptions -- sudden jets of plasma that can damage the fusion vessel's inner walls -- are controlled efficiently, paving the way for safer, more robust fusion power plants.

Researchers have found an environmentally safer way to extract the lithium 6 needed to create fuel for nuclear fusion reactors. The new approach doesn’t require toxic mercury, as conventional methods do

If scientists could create a sustained nuclear fusion reaction it would revolutionise the way we produce energy – day or night, rain or shine, sans carbon emissions. Among the myriad challenges facing physicists trying to make it a reality is the process of isolating lithium-6, an isotope essential to producing the fuel which is used […]

Sens. Diagn.DOI: 10.1039/D4SD00357H, Paper Open Access   This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence.Maede Chabi, Binh V. Vu, Kristen Brosamer, Sophia Song, Vijay Maranholkar, Zihua Zeng, Youli Zu, Rashmi Kanagal-Shamanna, Jacinta C. Conrad, Richard Willson, Katerina KourentziDue to the slow progression of most cancers, speed of diagnosis is not of primary concern. However, the diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is unusually urgent because its hemorrhagic...The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry

Lithium-6 is essential for producing nuclear fusion fuel, but isolating it from the much more common isotope, lithium-7, usually requires liquid mercury, which is extremely toxic. Now, researchers have developed a mercury-free method to isolate lithium-6 that is as effective as the conventional method.

Lithium-6 is a crucial material for nuclear fusion reactors, but isolating it is challenging – now researchers have found a way to do this without using toxic mercury

U.K. start-up Pulsar Fusion has unveiled plans to build a fleet of reusable nuclear fusion-powered rockets, known as Sunbirds, that could cut journey times across the solar system in half. But not everyone is convinced.

Enriched Lithium is a critical ingredient in fusion reactors. Making it is a toxic nightmare, but scientists may have found a way to do it without poisoning the world.

In a comprehensive experimental study, an international team of researchers has confirmed the calculations of a leading turbulence simulation code to an unprecedented degree. This marks a major breakthrough in understanding turbulent transport processes in nuclear fusion devices.

For decades, the U.S. has led the race to clean, limitless nuclear fusion energy. Now China is catching up, spending twice as much and building projects faster.

For decades, the U.S. has led the race to clean, limitless nuclear fusion energy. Now China is catching up, spending twice as much and building projects faster.