Search

Home > Physics World Weekly Podcast > Laser fusion: Focused Energy charts a course to commercial viability
Podcast: Physics World Weekly Podcast
Episode:

Laser fusion: Focused Energy charts a course to commercial viability

Category: Science & Medicine
Duration: 00:32:35
Publish Date: 2026-01-22 15:01:44
Description:

This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features a conversation with the plasma physicist Debbie Callahan who is chief strategy officer at Focused Energy – a California and Germany based fusion-energy startup. Prior to that she spent 35 years working at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the US.

Focused Energy is developing a commercial system for generating energy from the laser-driven fusion of hydrogen isotopes. Callahan describes LightHouse, which is the company’s design for a laser-fusion power plant, and Pearl, which is the firm’s deuterium–tritium fuel capsule.

Callahan talks about the challenges and rewards of working in the fusion industry and also calls on early-career physicists to consider careers in this burgeoning sector.

Total Play: 0

Some more Podcasts by Physics World

200+ Episodes
Physics Worl .. 10+     6