Ultrashort Pulse Laser Fusion – Marvel’s Disruptive Path to Compact Power Plants

Speaker: Floris Deurvorst (Manager R&D, Marvel Fusion)

The Promise of a Compact, Laser-Driven Fusion Plant

In his keynote at binding.energy 2025, Floris Deurvorst presented a bold vision: harnessing the power of ultrashort-pulse lasers and nanostructured fuels to ignite fusion in a compact and industrially viable way.

“Laser fusion doesn’t need massive tokamaks or cryogenic targets – it needs precision, speed, and smart design.”

→ 🎥 Watch the full keynote now←

Marvel Fusion: Where Physics Meets Product

Founded: Munich, Germany
Mission: Deliver commercial fusion with short pulses and nanofuels
Team: 80+ physicists and engineers
Funding: Over €200M public and private capital secured
Partners: Trumpf, Thales, Siemens, ELI-ALPS, Fraunhofer, CEA

Why Ultrashort Pulse Laser Fusion?

Marvel Fusion uses femtosecond laser technology to achieve extremely high intensities, rapidly heating nanostructured targets before the plasma expands. This approach avoids energy losses from classical compression (ICF) or magnetic confinement (MCF), and aims for direct-drive ignition in solid-state fuel.

This makes Marvel’s concept a leading contender in the next wave of laser fusion technology.

Fuel Design: Nanostructured Layers

Marvel engineers solid targets with embedded nanostructures to optimize energy deposition. These fuels can be:

precisely tuned for ignition thresholds
engineered for specific particle beams
manufactured at industrial scale using additive methods

Key Innovations

Ultrashort pulse laser systems (femtosecond, PW-class)
Solid-state nanostructured targets
Real-time alignment & repetition rate up to 10 Hz
AI-driven modeling & validation platform
Secondary applications: medical isotope production, neutron imaging, high-energy research

Comparison of Fusion Approaches

Approach	Driver	Fuel Type	Reactor Size
Magnetic Confinement (e.g. ITER)	Coils	DT plasma	Large (Tokamak)
Inertial Confinement (NIF)	ns-lasers	DT pellet	Very large (labs)
Marvel Fusion	fs-lasers	Nanostructured solid	Compact

Infobox: What Sets Marvel Apart

Marvel’s Key Differentiators

Compact plant footprint
No superconducting magnets
Rapid repetition design (10 Hz+)
Industrial ecosystem in place
Tunable particle beams (fusion + secondary)

Fusion Beyond Electricity

Marvel’s fs-lasers and nanostructured targets are multi-functional:

⚕️ Generation of medical isotopes
📡 Compact neutron sources
🔬 High-energy physics research beyond the grid

These auxiliary applications may even drive early market access before full electricity generation is reached.

Don’t Miss What’s Coming

Marvel Fusion combines the power of ultrashort pulse laser physics with the discipline of product engineering to lead the next wave of commercial fusion.

By reducing reactor size, avoiding cryogenics and magnets, and embracing industrial design principles, Marvel brings compact fusion reactors into reach—faster, simpler, and scalable.

→ Reserve your seat at binding.energy ←