The US patent office maintains a searchable data bas of patents at,
http://www.uspto.gov/
Searching for patent application, # 20080142717 turns up the following,
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING NUCLEAR FUSION USING CRYSTALLINE
MATERIALS
Abstract
Gently heating a pyroelectric crystal in a deuterated atmosphere can
generate fusion under desktop conditions. The electrostatic field of the
crystal is used to generate and accelerate a deuteron beam (>100 keV and >4
nA), which, upon striking a deuterated target, produces a neutron flux over
400 times the background level. The presence of neutrons within the target
is confirmed by pulse shape analysis and proton recoil spectroscopy. Several
elements of the system may be modified, including the configuration of the
crystal or crystals, the composition of the surrounding environment and the
target, the use of multiple probe tips, and the composition of the probe
tip.
Inventors: Naranjo; Brian; (Fullerton, CA) ; Gimzewski; James; (Santa
Monica, CA) ; Putterman; Seth; (Los Angeles, CA)
Correspondence Name and Address: