Nuclear fusion has a great deal of potential as a source of cheap, clean energy that could power the entire planet. Now, fusion researchers at a national laboratory in the US have accomplished a process known as "ignition," which physicists have been aiming toward for decades.
In this step, more energy must be extracted from fusion processes than was put in by the laser.
But how close are we to generating fusion energy that can light up homes? Despite the fact that the ignition was simply a proof-of-concept and the beginning of a protracted process, other advancements are also in the works, and taken together, they may inspire fresh interest in making fusion a realistic reality.
First, it's critical to acknowledge that the most recent result is in fact a significant turning point.
The largest laser in the world was directed at a hydrogen fuel-filled capsule by scientists at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in California, causing it to implode and ignite fusion processes that resemble those that occur in the Sun.
Given that the NIF laser could only extract around a thousandth of the energy it put in only a few years ago, the fusion energy released by the implosion was greater than that put in by the laser.
The laser needed to be powered by roughly 10,000 times more energy than it was able to output in light.
Runs are limited to one per day. And because each target is so meticulously made, they each cost thousands of dollars.
You would need a laser that produced light energy at a significantly higher efficiency (a few tens of percent) and fired targets successfully at ten times per second, with each target costing around a few pence, in order to create a reactor for a functioning power station.
In addition, a lot more energy would need to be released from each laser shot than was put in—possibly 100 times more.
On fusion "reactors," where neutrons from the reactions would help drive a steam turbine to generate electricity, very little practical study has been conducted. However, there are other causes for optimism.
First off, while it took the NIF more than a decade to achieve ignition, new lasers were independently created by scientists during that time.
These are extremely effective at converting a sizable portion of the electricity from the grid into laser light by using electronic components called diodes to transfer energy to the laser.
Such lasers' ability to operate at the rates of 10 times per second necessary for fusion has been demonstrated for prototype versions of the devices.
Although these lasers are not yet the scale required for fusion, the technology is well established, and the UK is a global leader in this field of study.
Additionally, there are a number of additional concepts that could be significantly more efficient than the fusion strategy employed by the scientists at NIF.
Nobody can say for sure whether these alternative solutions would be successful because they each have specific issues and have never been put to the test on a large scale.
To do so would require each of them to commit hundreds of millions of dollars, with no assurance that they would be successful (otherwise it would not be research).
However, a wind of change is currently blowing thanks to the private sector.
A number of funds that have very long-term goals have started to invest in young, start-up businesses that promote fusion as a reliable source of energy.
Given that private enterprise revolutionised the market for electric vehicles (as well as the rocket industry), perhaps that sector could give fusion the "kick" it needs.
Compared to governments, private businesses can operate far more swiftly and change course quickly to implement new ideas as needed.
Over $2 billion (approximately Rs. 16,500 crore) is currently estimated to be the total amount of private investment in the sector, which is peanuts in comparison to the $2 trillion (nearly Rs. 165 lakh crore) in annual revenue generated by the oil and gas sector.
The market still has plenty of room for high-risk, high-reward players.
The most recent findings demonstrate that fundamental science is sound: we can produce an endless supply of clean energy from fusion without being hindered by the rules of physics.
The issues are both technological and financial. While fusion may be too far off to provide a solution within a decade or two, the most recent development will at least increase interest in resolving one of humanity's most pressing problems.