US fusion report urges new diagnostics for commercial plasma power

by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 29, 2026
To operate fusion systems safely and reliably, scientists must monitor plasma fuel conditions and measure properties such as temperature and density that influence fusion reactions. This work depends on specialized sensors known as diagnostics, which can track how plasmas behave under the extreme conditions needed to produce energy.

A new national report sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy recommends increased investment in America's fusion diagnostic capabilities, describing them as critical technologies that can give federal agencies and Congress the information they need to accelerate commercial fusion power plants. The report emerged from the DOE's 2024 Basic Research Needs Workshop on Measurement Innovation, organized under the Office of Science's Fusion Energy Sciences program.

Luis Delgado-Aparicio, head of advanced projects at the DOE's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, chaired the workshop, with University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics scientist Sean Regan serving as co-chair. The meeting brought together experts from universities, private fusion companies and national laboratories such as PPPL to identify the measurement tools required to sustain U.S. leadership in fusion energy and plasma technologies.

The workshop supports the DOE Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap, which sets out actions and milestones into the mid-2030s to provide the scientific and technical basis for a competitive U.S. fusion energy industry. Delgado-Aparicio said that measurement innovations have driven and will continue to drive breakthroughs in plasma science and technology, and that the new report offers detailed findings across seven key areas that will affect both public and private fusion efforts. Regan added that innovative diagnostics can speed the path to commercial fusion energy while bolstering America's role in plasma science.

In total, 70 researchers assessed seven plasma physics topics funded by Fusion Energy Sciences. Their work covered low-temperature plasmas, high-energy-density plasmas, plasma interactions with surrounding materials, burning plasmas produced by magnetic-confinement fusion, burning plasmas produced by inertial-confinement fusion, fusion pilot power plants based on magnetic confinement and fusion power plants based on inertial confinement.

The report outlines priority research opportunities meant to improve how U.S. scientists measure plasmas in these regimes. One priority is to develop diagnostics that can survive the high radiation levels expected inside future fusion power plants while still delivering accurate data. Another is to invent techniques capable of capturing the ultra-fast processes that occur in inertial-confinement fusion experiments.

The authors also highlight the promise of artificial intelligence tools that can accelerate diagnostic design and optimization. They call for using AI and machine learning, along with physics-based modeling and digital twins, to validate and verify new measurement concepts before they are deployed in experiments.

Several recommendations focus on building a stronger national structure for diagnostic innovation. The report proposes establishing a coordinated Measurement Innovation network modeled on the LaserNetUS program, with the suggested name CalibrationNetUS, to link facilities, users and standards. It also urges the formation of national teams that can efficiently transform new diagnostic ideas into working instruments for fusion facilities.

Standardized calibration practices are another central theme. According to the report, a more systematic approach to calibrations would significantly enhance the quality and comparability of measurements across different fusion and plasma platforms. This consistency would help researchers benchmark performance, refine models and validate experimental results.

The authors stress the importance of transferring diagnostics and operational expertise from publicly funded laboratories to private-sector fusion ventures. Sharing tools and know-how with private facilities, they argue, will create mutually beneficial feedback between public research programs and commercial developers as both pursue practical fusion energy.

A long-term workforce strategy also appears in the report as an essential ingredient for success. The authors say that realizing the measurement innovations needed for fusion pilot plants will require a large and sustained effort to train new specialists, from graduate students to experienced engineers, who can design, build and operate advanced diagnostics.

Finally, the report points to the need to prepare for remote operation and maintenance of future fusion pilot plants. It recommends future workshops focused on measurement innovations that will let scientists monitor and service fusion systems at a distance, an approach expected to be vital in high-radiation environments.

Delgado-Aparicio and Regan thanked the working groups and broader community for their contributions in assembling the report, emphasizing the collaborative effort behind the findings. The document was developed with guidance from DOE Fusion Energy Sciences, organized with support from the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education team, and produced with communications and design assistance from staff at PPPL and collaborating partners.

Research Report:Basic Research Needs Workshop on Measurement Innovation for Fusion Energy Sciences