Laser fusion at UiB
The three steps of nanorod mounting based on synthesize chemistryLaser fusion is a groundbreaking approach to harnessing the same energy that powers the Sun and stars. By using ultra-powerful lasers, scientists compress and heat tiny fuel pellets made of hydrogen isotopes to extreme temperatures and pressures. This process forces the hydrogen nuclei to fuse, releasing enormous amounts of energy.
Unlike traditional nuclear power, laser fusion produces minimal radioactive waste and uses abundant fuel sources, making it a promising path toward clean, sustainable energy. Researchers are working to refine this technology, aiming to create a virtually limitless energy source that could revolutionize the way we power our world.
The project work within FUSENOW at UiB focuses on so-called nanoplasmonic fusion, a branch within the large ongoing international efforts of realizing fusion energy based on high-power laser sources. This is a collaboration with the Wigner reserach center and the Naplife project in Hungary where hydrogen-rich materials have been exposed to high power laser sources for many years and already demonstrated the production of alpha particles. The UiB group intend to develope the target based on nano-technology: The idea is to manufacture target material containing unidirectional “nanorods” which will expectedly enhance the number of nuclear reactions per laser pulse. The main goal of the FUSENOW activity at UiB is to demonstrate this effect and to optimize laser and material parameters towards a hopefully positive Q-value for the entire fusion process.