Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researchers have developed a tabletop accelerator that produces nuclear fusion at room temperature, confirming an earlier experiment conducted at UCLA, while offering substantial improvements over the original design.

The device is essentially a tabletop particle accelerator. At its heart are two opposing “pyroelectric” crystals that create a strong electric field when heated or cooled. The device is filled with deuterium gas. The electric field rips electrons from the gas, creating deuterium ions and accelerating them into a deuterium target on one of the crystals. When the particles smash into the target, neutrons are emitted, which is the telltale sign that nuclear fusion has occurred.

Possible applications include non-destructive testing, detecting explosives and scanning luggage at airports, and a wearable device that could provide safe, continuous cancer treatment. The new results are described in the Feb. 10 issue of Physical Review Letters.