China's HL-3 tokamak achieves H-mode operation with 1 MA plasma current

In a remarkable achievement, China’s new-generation magnetic confinement fusion device, the HL-3 tokamak (formerly known as HL-2M), achieved high-confinement mode (H-mode) operation with a plasma current of 1 mega amperes (MA) for the first time on August 25th, 2023. This breakthrough signifies a noteworthy milestone in China’s controlled nuclear fusion research, bringing us one step closer to the burning plasma phase.