Solid-State Light Ion Fusion

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Nuclear fusion, which occurs when hydrogen atoms fuse to produce benign helium gas while also releasing energy, holds promise as a potential source of scalable, carbon-free energy. Since the first demonstration of controlled nuclear fusion in 1958, however, researchers have battled against the fundamental problem that conventional fusion energy production currently requires operating temperatures of >10 million degrees Celsius. Producing and maintaining such extreme temperatures for even a fraction of a second with current technologies requires the input of more energy than is eventually produced by the fusion process. The Berlinguette Group at the University of British Columbia, in partnership with Google LLC and collaborators at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, are investigating an alternative approach to mediating fusion reactions at more accessible temperatures. The team is using clever materials science to test whether palladium targets loaded with high concentrations of hydrogen can yield rates of fusion at temperatures that are strikingly lower than what is currently known. This project is anticipated to inspire the development of technology with direct commercial value to the scientific and engineering instrumentation sectors, such as software, materials, and instrumentation relevant to quantum computing, superconductivity, geological surveying, material inspection, and medical radiography. The team's long-term mission is to circumvent the engineering and infrastructure challenges inherent to the high temperature conditions of contemporary fusion techniques. This type of leading edge project attracts top talent to Canadian universities, which enables innovative research capable of providing "made in Canada" solutions to some of society's greatest challenges. If we are to eventually harness low energy fusion as a means of energy production at industrial scale, innovative R&D work of this nature is critical. Widespread leveraging of fusion power would benefit not only Canada, but the global energy sector by eliminating the negative environmental impacts of increasing global energy demands.