Scientists at UC Davis and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory just made a major breakthrough in the design of nuclear fusion reactors. The team is at the vanguard of a new field of nuclear fusion research known as materials-driven fusion, which focuses on what the reactors are made up of in order to maximize efficiency and lower the temperature at which fusion can reliably occur. This represents a major breakthrough, as the ultra-high heats used in fusion experiments require huge amounts of energy inputs that render most fusion reactions net-negative in terms of energy production. “If we understand this effect better, it opens the door to engineering new materials that would affect the fusion rate under certain conditions. The tool uses large language modelling in combination with physics modeling to find materials suitable for the harsh environment of a nuclear fusion reactor.