Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided for performing a fusion reaction. The method comprises providing neutral gas within a gas chamber, supplying energy to the gas chamber to initiate heating of a cathode and ionization of the neutral gas into protons and electrons, causing formation of a conducting channel due to the ionized neutral gas, causing formation of an electron layer outside the cathode based on set of thermionically emitted electrons by the heated cathode, causing acceleration of the electrons towards the cathode to cause the heated cathode to emit a set of secondary electrons due to a potential associated with the electron layer. The set of secondary electrons enhance strength of the electron layer. The method comprises causing formation of an electrostatic potential profile with dips and peaks, due to an electron-ion two-stream instability. The protons are accelerated towards the cathode at peaks and bombardment of the protons into the cathode enables fusion reaction.