Overview
- Zap Energy said its FuZE-3 device reached electron pressures near 830 MPa, or about 1.6 GPa total, sustained for roughly one microsecond and measured by optical Thomson scattering.
- The results, presented at the APS Division of Plasma Physics meeting in Long Beach, mark the highest-pressure performance reported for a sheared‑flow‑stabilized Z‑pinch.
- FuZE-3 uses a new three‑electrode configuration with two power banks to separately manage acceleration and compression, enabling repeated high‑quality shots with densities of 3–5×10^24 m^-3 and temperatures above 1 keV.
- Zap and outside reporting note the advances improve the fusion triple product but remain short of scientific breakeven, with the company estimating roughly a tenfold pressure increase still required.
- The team plans continued FuZE-3 campaigns in the coming months and expects a next‑generation FuZE platform to begin operation this winter.