Germany And U.S. Jointly Build $150 Million Laser Equipment Laboratory

German laser fusion developer Marvel Fusion said it will partner with Colorado State University (CSU) in a $150 million joint effort to build a new laser equipment laboratory for research on inertial fusion energy and high energy density physics.
In a statement announcing the agreement, the company said, "This will be home to one of the world's most powerful laser facilities and an international center for research on laser fusion energy and high energy density physics."
The public-private partnership, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's "LaserNetUS" program, will establish the "Next Generation High Power Laser and Fusion Research Facility" at Colorado State University's Foothills campus.
Ultrafast Methods
As one of the few new venture-funded private companies targeting commercial laser-driven fusion energy, Marvel Fusion says the state-of-the-art facility will serve as a platform for advancing its unique program to address this enormous challenge.
The startup has strong ties to the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) program in Eastern Europe, where its chief technology officer, Georg Korn, was previously ELI's technical director.
Korn co-founded the company in 2019 with CEO Moritz von der Linden, Karl-Georg Schlesinger and Pasha Shabalin.
Previously, the company has raised €60 million in funding and upgraded Romania's 10 gigawatt Extreme Optical Installations-Nuclear Physics Project (ELI-NP) facility in partnership with defense giant Thales, as well as setting up a U.S. subsidiary.The company plans to use ultrafast lasers and "nanostructured" fuels to enhance fusion of protons and boron-11 isotopes.
"This public-private partnership sets the global standard for laser fusion research and advances the development of safe, clean and reliable energy. This is an incredible step forward for the Marvel Fusion endeavor and a testament to our success and vision."
"Over the past two years, I have worked with a world-class team at Colorado State University to achieve immeasurable results. We are very grateful to Colorado State University, the State of Colorado, and the U.S. Department of Energy for their trust and support of the LaserNetUS program."
Germany and U.S. Jointly Build $150 Million Laboratory for Laser Equipment
LaserNetUS encompasses the most powerful lasers in the U.S. and Canada (image credit: LaserNetUS)
10Hz repetition frequency
The new lab, scheduled for completion in 2026, is expected to have at least three laser systems, each with a peak power of multi-peak watts and a repetition frequency of 10 Hz. The company says: "Such a combination of lasers will make the facility unique in the world, and it will be designed to accommodate future expansion and additional lasers."
Marvel Fusion is said to be advancing a proton-boron fusion approach. The company has developed a direct diode-pumped, short-pulse laser technology. The company's approach utilizes a peak power laser output of more than 10 PW, relying on its diode technology to ensure its lasers, which can deliver pulse repetition rates of up to 10 Hz.
Colorado State University President Amy Parsons said, "Colorado State University is at the forefront of laser research, and this new partnership will solidify Colorado State's position as an international leader in the field of laser science, a field that has the potential to provide far-reaching benefits to our planet for generations to come."
The LaserNetUS program, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, recently announced $28.5 million in updated funding for high-power laser laboratories in the U.S. and Canada.
The U.S. Department of Energy has already provided CSU with $12.5 million for laser upgrade prototypes, which will help create and maintain the quality and expertise of the equipment that makes projects like the new lab facility possible.
Marvel Fusion says that through the collaboration, Colorado State's ability to conduct high-power laser research and its applications will be greatly expanded, with opportunities in semiconductorproduction, materials science, high-energy-density science and high-energy physics, of whichfusion is just one application.
It is expected to stimulate and facilitate the conclusion of further collaborations with industry, other universities, and U.S. national laboratories.
Prototype Development
Jorge Rocca, director of Colorado State University's Advanced Lasers and Extreme Photonics Laboratory, said at the launch, "This is an exciting opportunity for laser-based science, and it's an ideal facility for discovery and advanced technological development, with tremendous potential for societal impact."
In addition to the Colorado State University project, Marvel Fusion said they are planning to build a prototype as the next step toward a commercial fusion power plant.
The company says, "The prototype will house hundreds of laser systems capable of fusion ignition and demonstrate the technology at scale." The company will work through its Colorado subsidiary.