V4F

Información del proyecto

V4F

Identificador del acuerdo de subvención: 101096317

DOI

10.3030/101096317

Fecha de la firma de la CE 16 Diciembre 2022

Fecha de inicio 1 Enero 2023

Fecha de finalización 31 Diciembre 2026

Financiado con arreglo a

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Coste total

€ 2 659 996,25

Aportación de la UE

€ 2 659 996,00

Coordinado por

TAMPEREEN KORKEAKOULUSAATIO SR
Finland

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - V4F (V4F)

Período documentado: 2024-01-01 hasta 2025-06-30

Resumen del contexto y de los objetivos generales del proyecto

V4F aims to show proof-of-principle of a new technology capable of unprecedented control over interactions with specially synthesised targets significantly improve the energy balance of aneutronic fusion reactions.
New concepts and advanced simulations of inertial confinement of aneutronic fusion reactions and particle acceleration will inform pioneering experiments in high-energy matter-interactions. Results could offer the prospect of breakthrough increases in alpha-particle yields from fusion reactions and mitigate the instabilities found in conventional fusion reactions.
This work offers the tantalising possibility of aneutronic fusion as a waste-free nuclear energy source and radical new configurations of particle accelerators, leading to an efficient positron beam acceleration. The results will benefit society with game-changing new approaches to clean, safe energy production and significant downscaling of positron accelerators with dramatic impacts in medicine, industry and fundamental science.

Trabajo realizado desde el comienzo del proyecto hasta el final del período abarcado por el informe y los principales resultados hasta la fecha

In the first period work has begun on many aspects of the scientific and technical part. New laser fibres have been produced and three different seed lasers have been developed which will be used in the creation of our unique laser technology. Computational models to assist the design of the technology have been established. We have carried out simulations which show that it should be possible to generate the strong magnetic fields with our technology. These magnetic fields are essential for us to have the effect we aim for on the energy balance of aneutronic fusion reactions. We have begun synthesis of our new fuels and carried out chemical characterisation which confirm their suitability for future fusion experiments. We have carried out experiments with existing laser technology which show our fuels are capable of producing a relatively high yield of alpha particles. These results can be used as reference data to compare with the yield that may be generated using our unique laser technology once it is fully developed and ready to use.

In RP2, a suitable active material for a ring-shaped core was produced and twisted fibers with this ring-shaped core were produced and analysed for generation of OAM beams. The geometry of the fibers was guided by advanced computational models. Suitable systems and methods for beam analysis were built and the analysis conducted. Additionally, boranes have been confirmed as highly suitable targets for proton-boron fusion. Experiments with Gaussian beams produced alpha-particle yields in the range of current reported record numbers, demonstrating the potential of boranes. Their absorption with OAM beams was tested. These results support our hypothesis that boranes as an ideal target for anuetronic fusion,

Avances que van más allá del estado de la técnica e impacto potencial esperado (incluida la repercusión socioeconómica y las implicaciones sociales más amplias del proyecto hasta la fecha)

Our first paper has been published: "Double-clad ytterbium-doped tapered fibre with circular birefringence as a gain medium for structured light" in Optics Letters. This detailed, for the first time, using the spun architecture of the tapered fibre to to prevent polarisation and beam shape distortion during amplification of complex beams. This will have impact generally in the field of optics and will be further used in the V4F project to produce our unique laser technology.
RP2 saw publication of additional articles: “Coherent beam combining of optical vortices” was published in Optics Letters and is the first record of such result. “Interaction of Laguerre-Gaussian laser pulses with borane targets of different hydrogen-boron ratio” was uploaded to arXiv during RP2 and has now been published in Scientific Reports, identifying the optimal proton-boron ratio of targets for fusion experiments with Laguerre-Gaussian beams. Lastly, High Yield of Alpha Particles Generated in Proton-Boron Nuclear Fusion Reactions Induced in Solid Boron Hydride B18H22” was uploaded to arXiv, reporting the record-range alpha-particle yield in our first fusion experiments.

The V4F concept