Thomas Schenkel

For two atomic nuclei to fuse, they must overcome their fierce electric repulsion — like trying to bring two angry bulls together. Normally, only monstrous energy does the trick, as in stellar cores, where Hans Bethe explained fusion back in the 1930s.

A quantum magnetometer based on hydrogen nuclei works like noise-canceling headphones. It alternately "listens" to the field in two different ways: the noise is the same for both, but the desired signal is different. By subtracting one from the other, the device extracts the signal, reducing interference by more than 1000 times.