4 articles · Updated · Interesting Engineering · May 2
The Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf and Forschungszentrum Jülich team verified the world-first result with polarized Helium-3 at GSI Darmstadt using the PHELIX laser.
The finding suggests compact laser-plasma accelerators, which can reach gradients about 1,000 times higher than conventional machines, could support fusion research without disrupting spin alignment.
Researchers said preserved polarization could also aid proton and electron studies, including probing matter’s structure, fundamental interactions and possible physics beyond the Standard Model such as axions.
If compact accelerators are 1,000 times stronger, what is the main obstacle preventing them from replacing facilities like CERN now?
This breakthrough boosts fusion hopes, but can particle spin survive the 100-million-degree chaos inside an actual reactor?
Demonstrating 99% Spin Polarization Retention in Helium-3 Ions via Laser-Plasma Acceleration
Overview
In 2026, Prof. Dr. Markus Büscher's team achieved a breakthrough by demonstrating that pre-polarized Helium-3 ions retain their spin alignment after laser-plasma acceleration using the PHELIX laser at GSI Darmstadt. This was made possible by daily polarization of Helium-3 at Forschungszentrum Jülich and careful magnetic transport, with spin preservation confirmed through CR-39 detectors. The survival of polarization is explained by the Thomas–Bargmann–Michel–Telegdi equation and optimized by longitudinal self-injection schemes. This advance enables ultrahigh-density polarized hydrogen isotope production and precision studies in particle physics, while ongoing challenges like beam stability and measurement are being addressed by in-situ polarization methods and global research facilities, paving the way for compact, accessible polarized sources and future collider applications.