Billion-times more efficient nuclear fusion could be unlocked with low-frequency lasers

Researchers discovered that intense low-frequency lasers are surprisingly more effective than high-energy X-ray lasers at enabling nuclear fusion by helping atomic nuclei overcome electrical repulsion. Low-frequency lasers create multi-photon interactions that dramatically increase quantum tunneling probability, with fusion efficiency improvements reaching nine orders of magnitude at certain intensities. This breakthrough could potentially reduce the extreme temperature requirements for controlled fusion, making fusion reactions at relatively low temperatures as probable as those requiring much higher heat without laser assistance.