Plasma‑wall self‑organization lifts density limit

Chinese researchers report that using a plasma‑wall self‑organization process plus ECRH‑assisted ohmic start‑up on the EAST tokamak pushed plasma density well beyond empirical tokamak limits, claimed in Science Advances. If reproducible on other devices and at scale, this method could reduce the energy or confinement requirements for ignition and materially accelerate practical fusion pathways. — A verified route to extend tokamak density limits alters energy‑policy timelines, industrial strategy for fusion, grid and energy planning, and geopolitical competition over next‑generation energy tech.