Laser-assisted deuterium-tritium fusion: A quantum dynamical model

Abstract

Deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion is a key to generating safe, clean, and limitless energy on Earth in future fusion power plants. Its understanding at low collision energies is incomplete, as D-T fusion is a quantum tunneling process affected by resonances whose origin is linked to properties of not fully understood nuclear forces. Simplified quantum dynamical calculations of laser-assisted D-T fusion are presented, suggesting that laser-nucleus interaction can enhance the average D-T fusion probability by 7–$70\%$ at deep subbarrier energies using laser fields of intensity ${10}^{27}$–${10}^{29} {\mathrm{W}\mathrm{cm}}^{-2}$ and a photon energy of 1 eV.