Swiss Plasma Center

Powering the future with fusion energy

© Laboratory of Experimental Museology (Em+)

About Us

EPFL’s Swiss Plasma Center is one of the world leaders in fusion research and plasma applications. It hosts the Tokamak à configuration variable (TCV), one of only four major fusion research facilities in Europe.

Fusion, the process powering the Sun, has the potential to provide everyone with an abundant, safe and clean source of energy.
 
Our diverse, international team of researchers, engineers, and students collaborates through a rich program of research and training. Together, we push the boundaries of plasma physics, making fusion central to a sustainable energy future.

Director’s

message

Plasma + Fusion

Explained

Explore our universe

Virtual tours

Research

Advancing fusion and plasma research for energy, technology, medicine, and more

Learn more

Education

Preparing the next generation of fusion scientists and engineers through Physics education at all levels: Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral.

Learn more

Join us

Advance your career in a diverse, international, and innovative environment

Apply now

Latest news

© 2025 EPFL / Laboratory for Experimental Museology (EM+)

A new shape to tame fusion's hottest challenge

EPFL

Don’t burn the wall! That phrase sums up one of fusion’s most pressing challenges: protecting reactor walls from the extreme heat of plasma. Physicists at EPFL now report a new approach to address this major obstacle. By altering the magnetic shape inside a tokamak, they have discovered a new form of plasma radiation. This breakthrough could provide a far more reliable way to handle the fusion exhaust power. The research has been recently published in Physical Review Letters and featured in APS Physics Magazine.

from left to right: Dr. Alan Howling, Professor Ivo Furno and Dr. Philippe Guittienne © Nadia Barth / EPFL

A versatile plasma source at the core of tomorrow's innovations

EPFL

For over two decades, Dr. Philippe Guittienne, physicist at the Swiss Plasma Center, has been pushing the boundaries of plasma production. In 2003, he pioneered the resonant network antenna, a novel technology that can overcome the limitations of conventional plasma sources. Today, this innovation paves the way for new applications, particularly in the microelectronics industry, a sector representing a global market worth several trillion francs. He reveals all the details of this breakthrough in a recent book titled Resonant Network Antennas for Radio-Frequency Plasma Sources, co-authored with his colleagues Dr. Alan Howling and Professor Ivo Furno. This impressive 500-page guide, rooted in the principles of open science, serves as a reference for researchers, engineers, and industry professionals looking to design, understand, and use this strategic technology.

Ambrogio Fasoli / © Nicolas Schopfer

"These recognitions highlight the growing respect for fusion"

EPFL

A key figure in fusion research in Switzerland and Europe, physicist and professor at EPFL, Ambrogio Fasoli, was recently inducted into three of the most prestigious scientific circles: the Academia Europaea for Europe, the Accademia dei Lincei for Italy, and the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW) for Switzerland. This triple recognition not only reflects his important contributions to plasma physics but also his leadership in advancing fusion research. Such a series of distinctions in a single year is no coincidence; it corresponds to a key moment in his career, marked by several major milestones: five years as President of the European Consortium for Fusion Energy (EUROfusion) from 2019 to 2023, his appointment as Programme Manager (CEO) of EUROfusion starting on January 1, 2024, and his nomination, effective January 1, 2025, as Provost of EPFL.

All news

On the fragility of laminar flow

Abstract: Steady states of the two-dimensional Euler equations generally come in infinite-dimensional families and play an important role in the long-time dynamics of generic initial data. In this talk we will review…

 14.11.2025  

Speaker: Dr. Marc Nualart Batalla (ICMAT, Madrid)
Location:  MA B1 11
Category: Conferences – Seminars
Target audience: General public

Rolled Gaussian process models for curves on manifolds

 14.11.2025   15:1516:15

Speaker: Karthik Bharath, University of Nottingham
Location:  CM 1 517
Category: Conferences – Seminars
Target audience: Informed public

Catalytic Activation of Carbon Dioxide via Functional Molecule Design

 14.11.2025  

Speaker: Xunhui WANG
Location:  CE 1 3 &  Online
Category: Thesis defenses
Target audience: General public

See all events

Contact

Secretariat:
Mail: [email protected]
Phone: +41 21 693 34 87

Communication:
Mail: spc.communication@epflch

Search for EPFL People:
Use our online “people” directory to find an EPFL community member.


Address:
EPFL SB SPC
Station 13
CH-1015 Lausanne

Access map