China’s nuclear neutron gun fires atomic light to hunt hidden bombs

Chinese researchers at the Xi’an Modern Control Technology Research Institute have developed a compact nuclear neutron gun capable of controlled fusion between hydrogen and lithium inside a device roughly the size of a fire extinguisher. Powered by only 10 watts of direct current, the system uses a mechanical hammer to strike piezoelectric ceramics, generating high-voltage pulses that create an electromagnetic field accelerating hydrogen protons into a lithium cathode to trigger fusion reactions. This novel approach employs common materials rather than rare isotopes and a “polarised resonance” technique that boosts fusion probability by a factor of one million. The device produces a highly concentrated, directional neutron beam with an intensity of 10 billion neutrons per second and energies comparable to those in atomic detonations, marking a significant miniaturization of neutron sources. The neutron beam’s penetrating power has established applications in medicine, cargo inspection, and nuclear material detection, but also raises potential military implications given its similarity to neutron radiation weapons, which can incapacitate personnel while sparing infrastructure