History
The process of light ion acceleration using electrostatic fields and deuterium ions to produce fusion in solid deuterated targets was first demonstrated by Cockcroft and Walton in 1932 (see Cockcroft-Walton generator). Indeed, the process is used today in thousands of miniaturized versions of their original accelerator, in the form of small sealed tube neutron generators, in the petroleum exploration industry.
The process of pyroelectricity has been known from ancient times. The first use of a pyroelectric field to accelerate deuterons was in 1997 in an experiment conducted by Drs. V.D. Dougar Jabon, G.V. Fedorovich, and N.V. Samsonenko. This group was the first to utilize a lithium tantalate (LiTaO3) pyroelectric crystal in fusion experiments.
The novel idea with the pyroelectric approach to fusion is in its application of the pyroelectric effect to generate the accelerating electric fields. This is done by heating the crystal from −30°C to +45°C over a period of a few minutes.
Read more about this topic: Pyroelectric Fusion
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