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Plasma Information Control Lab
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The lab studies and controls the confinement of high-temperature plasma for nuclear fusion.
AboutAbout the lab
Understanding and controlling the confinement physics of high-temperature plasma.
The Plasma Information Control Lab studies how to understand and control the properties of high-temperature plasma exceeding 100 million degrees, with the aim of developing fusion power reactors.
Using the QUEST spherical tokamak, the lab investigates the mechanisms of particle and heat flow (transport) inside the plasma and develops methods to control them.
Because measuring instruments cannot be inserted directly into high-temperature plasma, the lab also develops its own diagnostics that use laser light, microwaves, and ion beams.
On the lab's website, it is introduced under the name "IdoHasegawaKinoshita Lab."
Key terms
- Plasma
- A state in which atomic nuclei and electrons are separated. Nuclear fusion fuel takes this state.
- Tokamak
- A doughnut-shaped nuclear fusion experimental device that confines high-temperature plasma with a magnetic field.
- Turbulence
- Fluctuations that arise inside plasma. They are thought to cause the flow of heat and particles.
- Heavy ion beam probe
- A diagnostic that injects an ion beam and measures fluctuations in electric potential, density, and magnetic field from the ions that emerge.
NewsLab news
View More ↗ResearchResearch themes
To sustain a reaction for a long time in a fusion reactor, the plasma density must be properly controlled by supplying fuel particles and removing reaction products. On the QUEST spherical tokamak, the lab uses a high-temperature metal wall to control particle absorption by the vacuum vessel wall, creating conditions close to those of a fusion reactor, and aims to understand the physical mechanisms of particle transport.
*Illustrative imageDeveloping diagnostics to measure turbulence and electric fields
Plasma above 1 million °C must be measured without contact, so the lab develops diagnostics that use laser light, microwaves, and ion beams. It works on developing a heavy ion beam probe (HIBP) and a microwave reflectometer, and on upgrading the Thomson scattering diagnostic system.
*Illustrative imageDeveloping the QUEST control system
On QUEST, which is equipped with magnetic field coils, heating equipment, and fuel supply, the lab is developing machine-learning-based real-time estimation of the plasma position and shape, along with control methods based on it. Challenges include long-duration data acquisition and neural-network-based control of the plasma position.
*Illustrative imageConfinement mechanisms of spherical tokamaks
A spherical tokamak has a doughnut shape like a standard tokamak, but the dependence of its confinement performance on factors such as magnetic field strength differs greatly. QUEST may be able to change the plasma shape on a single device, and the lab uses turbulence measurements and shape control to investigate why shape affects confinement.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Plasma Information Control Lab are faculty, administrative assistants, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students, and research students.As of 2025
- ProfessorTakeshi Ido
- Associate ProfessorMakoto Hasegawa
- Assistant ProfessorToshiki Kinoshita
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Electric glow discharge schematic-fr” Electric_glow_discharge_schematic.png: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Iantresman derivative work: Grimlock (talk) / CC BY 2.5 (cropped)
- Developing diagnostics to measure turbulence and electric fields: “STS-51-F Plasma Diagnostics Package” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
- Developing the QUEST control system: “Alcator C-Mod graduate students in control room” Paul Rivenberg and Mary Pat McNally, MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- Confinement mechanisms of spherical tokamaks: “QUEST tokamak (cropped)” Dawachin / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (分野融合室): “Aerosol 1” Sciencia58 / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (ビームプラズマ診断分野): “A segment of the Wendelstein 7-X vacuum vessel” Siarhei Besarab / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (核融合シミュレーション分野): “U.S. Department of Energy - Science - )” U.S. Department of Energy from United States / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (理論プラズマ物理分野): “Pilot Plasma Engine - GPN” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
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