Hefei, China - The Institute of Plasma Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP) announced a significant breakthrough. China's fully superconducting tokamak, the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), also known as the "Artificial Sun," achieved steady-state high-confinement (H-mode) plasma operation for 403 seconds during a recent experiment, setting a new world record.

This achievement shatters the previous record of 101 seconds set by EAST in 2017, marking a substantial leap forward in research towards a steady-state, high-confinement operating mode—a critical requirement for the core of a future fusion reactor. The successful experiment provides crucial experimental support and steps forward in addressing key challenges for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and the development of China's own fusion engineering test reactor.

A tokamak is a device that uses a powerful magnetic field to confine extremely hot plasma in the shape of a torus (doughnut), enabling nuclear fusion reactions to occur. The ultimate goal is to replicate the process that powers the sun, creating a nearly limitless source of clean energy on Earth.

The EAST device, located in Hefei, Anhui Province, is one of the world's most important test beds for ITER and future fusion technologies. This latest record demonstrates significant progress in controlling the complex physical processes within the ultra-high-temperature plasma, bringing scientists one step closer to harnessing the power of fusion energy.