Fusion ‘breakthrough’ achieved with pulse shot million times faster than blink of an eye

US-based Pacific Fusion has announced a major breakthrough in fusion research following four successful tests at Sandia National Laboratories’ Z Pulsed Power Facility.

Here, researchers have delivered a staggering 22-million-amp pulse in just 120 nanoseconds “– roughly a million times faster than the blink of an eye.”

These experiments, which utilized two versions of a simplified target design, confirm that magnetic fields can be effectively “leaked” into fusion fuel to pre-magnetize it. It is a critical step toward the company’s target of achieving net facility gain by 2030.

This work aligns directly with the Department of Energy’s Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap released in October 2025.

“The work directly informs the design of Pacific Fusion’s planned Demonstration System, which will be built in New Mexico,” said the company in a press release.

A breakthrough in “pre-magnetization”

The experiments, conducted under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), focused on a pencil-eraser-sized target made of plastic wrapped in aluminum.

The ‘breakthrough’ comes from the target’s simplicity. By precisely tuning the thickness of the aluminum layer, the team allowed magnetic fields to diffuse into the target to “pre-magnetize” the fuel inside.

This process traps heat more effectively, making it easier for the fuel to ignite during the main compression pulse.

“These findings show that the target can now do what previously required large, single-use magnetic coils, dramatically simplifying the fusion system,” said Keith LeChien, Chief Technology Officer at Pacific Fusion.

“By eliminating expensive and impractical external hardware, we now have confidence to design a new class of inexpensive targets that enables us to reach high-gain fusion and carve a path toward economically viable fusion power.”

Scaling for the 2030 milestone

The success at Sandia directly informs the development of Pacific Fusion’s planned Demonstration System, which will be built in New Mexico.

The experiments showed that the thinner aluminum layer allowed the magnetic field to enter the target more quickly and strongly, providing the team with a new lever for refining performance.

“The results also enable validation of Pacific Fusion’s advanced simulation tools, developed in collaboration with the Flash Center at the University of Rochester,” highlighted the press release.

Reducing the cost of fusion

A primary barrier to deploying Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) for commercial energy has been that the target and surrounding materials are vaporized on each shot and must be replaced. 

By replacing complex, expensive external hardware with a simplified aluminum-and-plastic cylinder, Pacific Fusion is addressing the recognized engineering and cost challenges of replacing components between shots.

While traditional laser-based approaches, such as those at the National Ignition Facility which reported ignition in 2022, rely on massive external energy drivers, Pacific Fusion’s approach uses pulsed-power magnetic fields. 

This method focuses on affordable, high-repetition energy production rather than the complex, high-precision designs used for purely scientific milestones and offers a more direct route to a commercialized fusion grid.

“This milestone is considered essential for unlocking commercial fusion power in the United States by the mid-2030s,” concluded the press release.