Fusion Energy Systems

Kevin Field, professor of nuclear engineering and radiological sciences, and Ethan Polselli, a PhD student in the same department, work together in the Michigan Ion Beam Laboratory, on the North Campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, on Friday, July 11, 2025.

 

To make fusion energy viable, materials must withstand intense radiation, high temperatures, and transmutation-induced helium accumulation—challenges that can cause swelling and failure. Professor of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences Kevin Field and his team are studying next-generation RAFM steels that use nanoscale titanium-carbide particles to trap helium and resist damage, advancing the development of safer, more economical fusion energy systems.

 

The Michigan Ion Beam Laboratory (MIBL) for Surface Modification and Analysis was established in October of 1986. The Laboratory is part of the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences in the College of Engineering, and is located on the University of Michigan’s North Campus. MIBL is part of the Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) and is open for domestic and international research. The laboratory was created for the purpose of advancing our understanding of ion-solid interactions by providing unique and extensive facilities to support both research and development in the field.

 

Photo: Brenda Ahearn/University of Michigan, College of Engineering, Communications and Marketing

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