The simulations show that the output of energy could be many times greater than the energy fed into the container's liner. Indeed, the method appears to be 50 times more efficient than using X-rays - currently Sandia's preferred method - to drive implosions of targeted materials and create fusion conditions. Such fusion, says the team, could eventually produce reliable electricity from seawater - the most plentiful material on Earth.

In the simulations, the output demonstrated was 100 times that of a 60 million amperes (MA) input current. And output rose steeply as the current increased: 1,000 times input was achieved from an incoming pulse of 70 MA. Since Sandia's Z machine can only reach 26 MA, the researchers say they would be happy with scientific break-even - which has never before been achieved - as a proof of principle.

The magnetic inertial fusion (MIF) technique heats the fusion fuel, deuterium-tritium, by compression as in normal inertial fusion. However, it uses a magnetic field to suppress heat loss during implosion, with the magnetic field preventing charged particles like electrons and alpha particles from draining energy from the reaction.