Pacific Fusion Reports Results From Experiments Conducted at Sandia’s Z Pulsed Power Facility

Four experiments on the Z machine at 22 million amps provide data on simplified ‘targets’ for pulsed-power inertial fusion concepts

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Pacific Fusion today reported results from a series of experiments conducted at Sandia National Laboratories’ Z Pulsed Power Facility under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement.

In a series of tests on Sandia’s Z machine – the world’s most powerful pulsed-power facility – the team gathered measurements on a simplified target design, made only of aluminum and plastic, that can potentially be used as the basis for pulser-driven inertial confinement fusion, or ICF. The measurements provide data to help evaluate and refine target designs in this area of research.

Fusion, the same process that powers the sun, is an area of ongoing research across government, academia and industry.

Pacific Fusion was founded in 2023 to deliver affordable fusion energy. The company’s work draws on established research in inertial fusion and pulsed power. Sandia’s Z facility has supported decades of pulsed-power science and fusion-related experiments.

ICF uses fast pulses of energy to implode small targets containing fusion fuel, causing them to release massive amounts of energy on each shot. In 2022, the laser-based National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory reported the first experiment to achieve fusion “ignition” as defined by NIF.

A significant barrier to deploying ICF for commercial fusion energy production has been that the target and any surrounding material are vaporized on each shot and need to be replaced. Replacing targets and associated components between experiments is a recognized engineering and cost challenge, motivating research into simpler designs.

In a major breakthrough for pulser-driven ICF, experiments were conducted at Sandia’s Z facility under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between Sandia and Pacific Fusion. In these experiments, the team measured how magnetic fields diffused through a simplified target design intended to support pre-magnetization concepts. The simple target, made of just plastic wrapped in aluminum, allows the magnetic field to diffuse into the target to “pre-magnetize” the fusion fuel. Pre-magnetization is desirable for pulser-driven inertial fusion because it helps trap heat in the fusion fuel, allowing it to more easily ignite.

During four tests at the Z machine, researchers delivered a 22-million-amp pulse in just 120 nanoseconds – roughly a million times faster than the blink of an eye. Magnetic sensors embedded in the targets measured how the magnetic field moved through the material, confirming that the magnetic diffusion design works as intended.

Two versions of the target were tested, both small metal cylinders about the size of a pencil eraser but with different aluminum thicknesses. 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.

“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. We’re grateful to our collaborators at Sandia for their partnership and for the opportunity to test these concepts at the Z Facility.”

The results also enable validation of Pacific Fusion’s advanced simulation tools, developed in collaboration with the Flash Center at the University of Rochester. The code’s predictions for target behavior will be improved by the experimental data, enabling future designs of fusion targets.

Sandia researchers said this experiment highlighted the value of industry-laboratory collaboration in advancing fusion science.

“These experiments are a good example of collaboration between the national labs and industry for research that is a dual benefit for Pacific Fusion and Sandia,” said Greg Rochau, director of Sandia’s Pulsed Power Sciences. “Z is presently the only facility providing these unique pulsed-power capabilities that support a broad range of high-energy-density physics and fusion-related research. Results like these help strengthen the scientific foundation Sandia applies to its national security mission.”

The work directly informs the design of Pacific Fusion’s planned Demonstration System, which will be built in New Mexico and is aimed at achieving net facility gain — producing more fusion energy than the energy stored in the system — by 2030. This milestone is considered essential for unlocking commercial fusion power in the United States by the mid-2030s.

The collaboration between Sandia and Pacific Fusion aligns with the Department of Energy’s Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap released in October 2025.

Additional background and images are available on Pacific Fusion’s blog.

About Pacific Fusion

Pacific Fusion was founded in 2023 to deliver commercial fusion energy to power cities, businesses and homes. The company is rapidly designing and building a pulser-driven inertial fusion system to achieve net facility gain – more fusion energy output than stored energy input – by 2030. Pacific Fusion is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area with operations in New Mexico. For more information, visit pacificfusion.com.

Contacts

Media contact
Alex Doniach, Pacific Fusion, [email protected]