Our breakthrough technology

Pioneering laser-driven clean fusion energy

Marvel Fusion is developing laser-driven fusion as a solution for the global energy transition to zero carbon emission.

Taking advantage of the latest scientific breakthroughs in laser and nanotechnology, we are working on a novel strategy to fusion, utilizing ultrafast lasers and nanostructured fuel.

Nature’s favourite energy source

The stars like our Sun led the way to innovation in fusion technology.

The Sun draws its life-giving energy from many millions of fusion reactions that occur inside its core every second, releasing enough energy to maintain the sun at temperatures of about 15 million °C.

To harness fusion power terrestrially, we were striving for an equally efficient solution.

Laser-driven fusion: clean, safe & reliable

To initiate the fusion process, an ultrashort laser pulse interacts with small fuel pellets in a target structure with high intensity. The rapid deposition of laser energy triggers the fusion of the fuel’s nuclei before the target structure can disassemble. Because the entire process is so fast, the particles are confined through their own inertia.

To achieve sufficient scale for commercial operation, fuel pellets need to be irradiated and ignited several times per second.

An injector pushes a new pellet into the target chamber, where it is hit by the incoming laser pulse and releases energy during the fusion process. Supplementary systems convert the released energy into electricity.

By adjusting the rate of pellet injections and corresponding laser pulses per second, our fusion power plant can adjust the overall energy output to market demand.

Marvel Fusion deploys tailor-made nanostructured fuel pellets to take advantage of atomic-level effects that increase the rate of pB11 fusion reactions.

Fusion is the exact opposite of fission. It’s safe, clean and doesn’t leave any problematic long-lasting waste. A chain reaction is physically impossible.

Marvel Fusion is developing laser-driven fusion as a solution for the global energy transition to zero carbon emissions.

Enabled by scientific breakthroughs in laser & nano technology

The required laser technology – combining intensity and repetition rate – is finally within reach

Marvel Fusion merges latest breakthroughs in laser and nano sciences to create novel state-of-the-art fusion technology. The ongoing momentum in laser science is illustrated by the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics for “Chirped Pulse Amplification”, invented by Donna Strickland and Gérard Mourou.

This leap in technology has paved the way for peak power laser output beyond ten petawatts. At the same time, rapid advancements in diode technology are enabling short-pulsed lasers with pulse repetition rates up to 10 Hz.

Laser diodes as the main cost driver are rapidly decreasing in price

Overall, diode-pumped laser systems create higher efficiency compared to traditional pump technology using flashlamps, while requiring less cooling and dramatically reducing costs.

Moreover, the extremely precise and consistent fabrication of nanostructured targets has only become possible through material innovation and industrial scaling of nanotechnology techniques within the last two years.

Marvel Fusion’s unique laser-driven fusion technology has been validated by internationally renowned scientists.