Exceptional wave of funding in 2025
The first half of 2025 was particularly dynamic, marked by the securing of several funding grants. A big thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of these projects. Note that we are continuing our strategy to diversify our portfolio.
Here is the full list of these contributions:
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Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF): Project on the continuous operation of nuclear fusion reactors.
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Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE): Testing of SUCCEX samples in SULTAN.
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Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS): Research agreements #2 (DEFUSE for MOSAIC) and #3.
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Tokamak Energy: SULTAN service contract.
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Advanced Conductor Technology (US): SULTAN test of the UKAEA EST sample.
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Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL): Study on radial redistribution of energetic particles.
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F4E – Karlsruhe Institute of Technology: Engineering support for EC gyrotrons (subcontract F4E-OFC-1581).
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University of Lausanne (UNIL): Hyperion project – new plasma source for NanoSIMS and SIMS instruments.
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Evatec SA / Innosuisse: Development of a resonant ICP plasma source for diamond nucleation.
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UKIFS: Qualification of superconductors for STEP on the SULTAN platform.
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Optoprim Srl (Italy): Prototype of the MANTIS II system for RFX-mod2.
Our research on electron clouds makes the headlines
The most common way of heating a plasma to many millions of degrees is to use a gyrotron, which is a coherent microwave generator, about a thousand times more powerful than a conventional kitchen microwave. Gyrotrons are routinely used in tokamaks and stellarators, and are also envisaged for ITER and DEMO. In order for a gyrotron to operate reliably and continuously, however, many design constraints need to be taken into account that make its construction challenging and costly. In fact, unless very carefully designed, gyrotrons can experience disruptive events that prevent their continuous operation. These operational failures often originate in a region of the gyrotron called the electron gun, a cavity in which electrons can become trapped, accelerated, and produce an avalanche of new electrons by colliding with the neutral atoms present in the cavity volume. This generates a cloud of electrons with very high density, which eventually harms the gyrotron by a sudden release of its charge.
The Swiss Plasma Center has been recently able to reproduce and visualize these electron clouds in a unique and controlled environment: the T-REX experiment. And for the first time, and thanks to the numerical simulations carried out by Pierrick Giroud – a Phd student from the plasma theory group – the mystery of how these clouds form and disrupt has been revealed. Indeed, his simulations suggest that these clouds grow and then become unstable like clouds in the atmosphere in the presence of strong sheared winds (the so-called Kelvin-Helmotz instability).
The results of these discoveries, which are backed up by experiments in T-REX, have made the cover of Physics of Plasmas in May 2025. There is now hope that this understanding can be exploited in the future to simplify the design of gyrotrons, potentially increasing their performance too.
Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) funding for the TCV divertor
We are excited to share that the project “Scientific exploitation of the Swiss Fusion Hub divertor upgrade of TCV” has been awarded funding by the Swiss National Science Foundation. This four-year effort focuses on the ongoing TCV divertor upgrade (TBLLD), which combines innovative magnetic geometry with reactor-relevant engineering. The project supports five PhD students and aims to experimentally and numerically assess the TBLLD concept across a range of plasma regimes.
Our focus will be on advancing related plasma diagnostics, edge modelling, turbulence studies, and extrapolations to reactor conditions. The work builds directly on the broader upgrade effort, with the goal of establishing the physics basis of the TBLLD and clarifying its potential for future reactors.
Two appointments to the title of Senior Scientist (Maître d’enseignement et de recherche)
On the recommendation of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, and following the deliberation of June 26, 2025, Joaquim Loizu and Benoît Labit have both been appointed as Senior Scientists.