First results of the linear plasma device SWORD

Linear plasma devices have been a vital tool to sharpen our understanding of plasma wall interactions in fusion devices. Aiming at mimicking divertor plasmas in next-generation fusion devices, our institute has been constructing a high-flux linear plasma device named SWORD. Here, we report its first milestone result—a continuous helium plasma discharge with a particle flux greater than 10²⁴ m⁻² s⁻¹ and a duration greater than 1000 s, which is confirmed by both the Langmuir probe and optical emission spectroscopy. This marks an important step towards the realization of fusion energy in China.