Tiny reactor boosts fusion with a sponge-like trick

UBC researchers demonstrated a new fusion approach using a bench-top reactor that combines plasma fields with electrochemical loading to increase deuterium fuel density in palladium targets. This "sponge-like" technique boosted fusion rates by 15% compared to plasma loading alone, using just one volt of electricity instead of requiring 800 atmospheres of pressure, though the reactor still consumed more energy than it produced.