System may herald nuclear fusion power generation

The technology, which aims to increase laser pulse intensity by up to 300 times, could also produce intense X-rays for seeing through dense materials that would otherwise be impenetrable to the radiation.

A team of scientists led by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Central Laser Facility (CFL) have used computer simulations to demonstrate the feasability of the technique called Raman amplification, where laser pulses are intensified in ionised hydrogen plasma.

The researchers claim the breakthrough, detailed in a paper in the journal Nature Physics, could allow expensive and complex laser equipment to be replaced with smaller and more cost-effective systems.

‘We’re looking to be able to produce laser pulses with the right intensities to compress pellets of fusion fuel,’ Bob Bingham of the CFL and Strathclyde University told The Engineer.

The shortness of the laser pulses could also be used to create a stroboscopic effect that would allow scientists to study the fast-moving fuel pellets in a laser fusion reactor.