Benchtop high-pressure technique for tritium breeding

Tritium, an isotope of hydrogen, is a key nuclear fuel for fusion reactors. However, over 50 fusion companies and research institutions are on the verge of exhausting global tritium reserves. The significant mismatch between tritium supply and demand has skyrocketed its market price to $30M per kilogram. This team is developing novel laser optics that create high pressures at a benchtop-scale, improving the efficiency of inertial confinement. Their goal is to produce tritium as a nuclear fuel in the short term and to achieve energy breakeven in the long term.