A wave of investment and technological breakthroughs has thrust fusion energy into the spotlight as a promising pathway towards sustainable decarbonised power.
Companies across Europe are advancing on fusion energy, with recent financial support proving to be a catalyst for complex area of science. A new report by Photonics 21 highlights the pivotal role played by photonics in transforming fusion energy from a scientific challenge to a powerful and trusted energy source. Meanwhile, significant backing for start-ups such as Marvel Fusion is signalling commercial interest in making fusion energy a reality.
Fusion involves combining two light atomic nuclei to form a heavier nucleus. Mimicking the process that powers the Sun, it requires temperatures of around 100 million degrees Celsius and immense pressure to overcome the forces between the two nuclei. Unlike nuclear fission, fusion has the power to provide a near-limitless energy source, without the consequence of long-lasting radioactive waste. So it is often seen as one of the ‘holy grail’s of science.
Photonics21’s report, ‘Photonics for the Energy Production Market: Focus on Fusion Energy’, identifies the role of photonics in enabling fusion for power. Essential to initiate fusion reactions in inertial confinement fusion, powerful lasers are used to mimic conditions inside of stars by compressing and heating fuel pellets, and photonics is also a viable option to control fusion plasmas with great precision, with technologies like lidar, optical sensors and high-precision imaging identified for their suitability for managing the extreme temperatures involved in fusion reactions.
“Lasers and optical technologies have the potential to turn the science fiction dream of limitless fusion power into a reality,” said Photonics21 President Dr. Lutze Aschke. “This cutting-edge science and technology has the power to make what once seemed impossible — clean, sustainable power for all — into a tangible goal.” The report discusses a number of different approaches to fusion but no matter which approach is used, no fusion reactor can work without photonics.
Commercial interest in fusion
Recently securing €63 million in Series B funding from major investment names like Deutsche Telekom, alongside receiving up to €17.5 million through the European Innovation Council’s Accelerator program, German start-up Marvel Fusion aims to develop a commercialised laser fusion process.
Relying on ultrafast femtosecond-pulse lasers to target silicon nanostructure and facilitate fusion, Marvel Fusion’s approach uses an alternative process from the more common deuterium tritium fuel favoured by other methods, meaning they can be manufactured in volume using relatively conventional semiconductor lithography techniques.
Through a collaboration with Colorado State University (CSU), Marie is set to build a $150 million laboratory in Fort Collins. Supported by the US Department of Energy’s LaserNetUS program, the facility is scheduled to begin initial experimentations by 2027 and highlights the cross-continental effort to accelerate fusion technology.
“In parallel to building our tech demo in Colorado, we can now invest in further innovation of the technology to drive down cost and optimise performance,” said Marvel Fusion’s CEO Moritz von der Linden. Meanwhile, “With the Series B funding and the commitment from the EIC, we can demonstrate the physics and the technology of our approach to meet power plant requirements,” said Marvel Fusion’s CEO Moritz von der Linden. Meanwhile, “in parallel to building our tech demo in Colorado, we can now invest in further innovation of the technology to drive down cost and optimise performance.”
If the Fort Collins laboratory experiments prove to be a success, Marvel’s plan will be to expand the process inside a larger facility by the end of the decade
Along with substantial investment for companies like Marvel Fusion and collaborations like the PriFUSIO project, Photonics21’s report signals the beginning of a transformative period for fusion energy. One in which the photonics industry will be crucial.
