A compact fusion machine just hit gigapascal pressures

Summary

Zap Energy’s FuZE-3 device achieved plasmas with electron pressures up to 830 MPa and total pressures around 1.6 GPa, marking the highest pressure recorded for a sheared-flow-stabilized Z pinch and a significant step toward Q>1. The results, shared at a plasma physics meeting, also feature FuZE-3’s use of a third electrode to independently control acceleration and compression of the plasma. Early findings were announced by Zap Energy’s team and highlighted as a major milestone in fusion research.

Key findings

FuZE-3 reached electron pressures of 830 MPa, with a total (electrons plus ions) pressure around 1.6 GPa, comparable to conditions deep beneath Earth’s crust.
The device has generated plasmas with electron pressures up to 830 megapascals (MPa), or a total pressure of 1.6 gigapascals (GPa), a level similar to the intense conditions found deep beneath Earth's crust.
These pressures represent the highest to date in a sheared-flow-stabilized Z pinch configuration.
The results are the highest-pressure performance to date in a sheared-flow-stabilized Z pinch
FuZE-3 incorporates a third electrode, enabling independent control of acceleration and compression mechanisms.
FuZE-3 is also the first system from Zap to use a third electrode, which allows the mechanisms responsible for accelerating and compressing the plasma to be controlled independently.

Context and significance

In fusion research, achieving both extreme temperature and extreme density in plasma is essential for energy gain. The reported pressures in FuZE-3 are a critical milestone toward reaching scientific energy gain (Q>1) in Z-pinch approaches, which aim to compress and heat plasma efficiently to produce net energy output.

Timeline and venue

Initial findings were presented at the American Physical Society's Division of Plasma Physics meeting in Long Beach, California, with researchers noting notable performance improvements over Zap Energy’s prior systems.

Author’s note

FuZE-3’s introduction of a third electrode and its record-high pressure readings position it as a pivotal development in compact fusion concepts, signaling accelerated progress toward practical fusion energy.

Author’s summary

FuZE-3 demonstrates record-high pressures in a Z-pinch reactor and introduces independent control of key plasma dynamics, marking a meaningful step toward achieving net fusion energy in compact devices.

Science Daily — 2025-11-20