On July 22, 2024, a fusion device designed by University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists generated plasma for the first time, a significant step towards creating a clean, reliable, and robust energy source. [1] Their achievement came four years in the making, after rigorous testing of a fusion energy device known as WHAM (Wisconsin HTS Axisymmetric Mirror) in UW’s Physical Sciences Lab. The researchers used a new kind of magnet, the rare earth barium copper oxide superconducting magnets, which enabled them to create the first plasma on July 15, the first step in a new age of fusion research. To achieve this, they made a powerful vacuum and added hydrogen, which they then superheated as it was held in place by the magnets. The result was a 50-millisecond burst of plasma. If the prototype passes the testing phase next year, the scientists will start building a device that can generate fusion energy to power homes and industries with no GHG emissions and minimal radiation within the decade.

[1] https://news.wisc.edu/first-plasma-marks-major-milestone-in-uw-madison-fusion-energy-research/