In Aug. 2023, HL-3 made a new breakthrough: H-mode operation has been achieved under 1MA plasma current for the first time, and broke the record of China's magnetically confinement fusion device once again. It is an important milestone in the process of nuclear fusion energy development in China, marking an important step for China's magnetically controlled nuclear fusion research to high-performance fusion plasma operation.
The H-mode is an advanced operating regime in magnetic confinement fusion devices. This regime can improve the performance of the confined plasma via increasing its key parameters, and enhance the economic efficiency of a fusion reactor. And it is also one of the standard operating scenarios for the under-construction International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).