The Ministry of Innovation and Growth will support with BGN 10 million an advanced research project of the Institute of Solid State Physics (ISSP) at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The project is focused on laser-induced controlled nuclear fusion and has the potential for a breakthrough in global science and nuclear energy production. The funding, provided under the Programme “Research, Innovation and Digitalisation for Smart Transformation,” will ensure the creation of the necessary laboratory conditions for scientific work.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), nuclear fusion is a source of nearly unlimited, safe, and clean energy. This is the very process that powers the Sun and the stars. Worldwide, significant scientific efforts are being invested in achieving and applying nuclear fusion. Recently, in the laser laboratory of the Institute of Solid State Physics, for the first time in the world, a nuclear fusion reaction was experimentally achieved under conditions of femtosecond laser radiation – through ultra-short, high-power pulses within an extremely brief time interval.
The experiment was carried out by four scientists from the Institute of Solid State Physics – Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ekaterina Yordanova and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Georgi Yankov, and from the Institute of Electronics at BAS – Prof. Lyubomir Kovachev and Assoc. Prof. Ivan Angelov. Their efforts will be supported by the world-renowned scientist and former President of the Academy, Acad. Nikola Sabotinov.
With the funding under the Research Programme, the team will seek to further develop and optimise this Bulgarian innovative method for nuclear fusion. This will be a unique experiment not only for Bulgaria but also on a global scale. The new ISSP-BAS method is more compact, requires lower energy consumption, and ensures higher safety compared to the approaches currently used in the USA and the EU.
If successfully implemented, the project could lead to a revolution in nuclear energy production, enabling the use of smaller, more efficient, and safer reactors. Moreover, it would open opportunities for Bulgaria to develop technologies, patents, and industrial partnerships, including with the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises and scientific organisations. Thus, the country may position itself among the leaders in cutting-edge research and make a significant contribution to the European green and energy transition.
