Fusion power typically evokes images of large industrial facilities equipped with massive lasers or magnets. However, a startup based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has been quietly developing a device that can fit on a tabletop. The device's optics were showcased behind Yun Kai, co-founder and CEO of Cambridge Heavy Industries, during a video call with TechCrunch.

Innovative Design

The company has been operating in stealth mode from a small lab near MIT. Kai provided an exclusive look at the technology they have been developing, stating,

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"We purposely built a small modular reactor. It’s tiny, it’s benchtop. Because it’s small, it makes everything easier."

The compact size of the device allows Cambridge Heavy to conduct experiments and iterate quickly. Kai noted,

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"The small module nature can enable 50 to 80 experiments, 50 to 80 shots per day."

Data from these experiments will inform simulations that utilize AI to optimize the design.

Funding and Development

This agile approach has garnered investor interest. Recently, the startup raised a $6.2 million seed round led by Azolla Ventures, with participation from Overlay, Neta Foundation, P3A, MassCEC, and the Rothrock family.

Cambridge Heavy's fusion reactor employs lasers to compress a fuel target, similar to a groundbreaking experiment that demonstrated controlled fusion reactions could yield more power than they consume. Unlike other inertial confinement designs, Cambridge Heavy's system minimizes the number of lasers needed to initiate fusion.

How It Works

The system utilizes two main lasers to drive ignition. One laser is divided into multiple beam lines that deliver light in concentric rings. These rings are timed to strike the flat, round fuel target successively, starting from the outside and moving inward. The first ring initiates a compression wave within the target, which travels inward. Subsequent laser rings are timed to enhance the wave at critical moments, further compressing the fuel. As the shock wave reaches the center of the target, a laser fires on the target, generating heat and creating a magnetic field. With the right conditions of pressure and heat, fusion occurs.