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Deuterium Uptake In Magnetic-Fusion Devices With Lithium-Conditioned Carbon Walls, P. S. Krstic, Jean Paul Allain, C. N. Taylor, J. Dadras, S. Maeda, K. Morokuma, J. Jakowski, A. Allouche, C. H. Skinner

Birck and NCN Publications

Lithium wall conditioning has lowered hydrogenic recycling and dramatically improved plasma performance in many magnetic-fusion devices. In this Letter, we report quantum-classical atomistic simulations and laboratory experiments that elucidate the roles of lithium and oxygen in the uptake of hydrogen in amorphous carbon. Surprisingly, we show that lithium creates a high oxygen concentration on a carbon surface when bombarded by deuterium. Furthermore, surface oxygen, rather than lithium, plays the key role in trapping hydrogen. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.105001