site.btaBulgaria Invests BGN 10 Mln in Pioneering Laser-Induced Nuclear Fusion Research

The Ministry of Innovation and Growth will allocate BGN 10 million to support a pioneering research project by the Institute of Solid State Physics (ISSP) at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The research focuses on laser-induced controlled nuclear fusion and has the potential for a breakthrough in global science and nuclear energy production. The funding will be provided under the Scientific Research, Innovation, and Digitalization for Smart Transformation programme. The funds will be used to establish the necessary laboratory conditions for the scientific work.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), nuclear fusion is a source of virtually unlimited, safe, and clean energy. Significant scientific efforts are being made worldwide to achieve and apply it. Recently, at an ISSP laboratory, a nuclear fusion reaction was experimentally achieved under femtosecond laser irradiation for the first time in the world—that is, using ultra-short, high-power pulses for an extremely brief period. The experiment was conducted by four scientists from the Institute of Solid State Physics and the Institute of Electronics at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

Their efforts will be supported by the former Chairman of the Academy, Nikola Sabotinov, and ISSP Director Assoc. Prof. Ekaterina Yordanova. With funding from the Scientific Research Program, they will attempt to develop and optimize this innovative Bulgarian method for nuclear fusion. This will be a unique experiment not only for Bulgaria but also on a global scale. The method developed by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is more compact, consumes less energy, and is safer compared to those used in the USA and the EU.

If successful, the project could lead to a revolution in nuclear energy production, enabling the use of smaller and more efficient reactors.