Magnetic Fusion Reactor Sets New Stable Plasma Record

Nuclear fusion energy—the process that powers our sun—is often called the holy grail of clean energy's future. A new experimental tokamak research facility has now set a record for confining plasma at 100 million degrees Celsius for a sustained period.

The landmark achievement was made possible by superconducting magnets built on REBCO (Rare Earth Barium Copper Oxide) material, which can generate exceptionally strong magnetic fields within a more compact reactor volume.

A denser magnetic field suppresses the leakage of charged particles, allowing fusion reactions between deuterium and tritium nuclei to run with a positive net energy ratio.

The transition from experimental physics to commercial power plant engineering is now the primary target for global energy consortia working toward zero carbon emissions.