Kajita Laboratory: Plasma Science and Engineering Division,
Department of Advanced Energy, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo
| Learning from nature — Toward advanced fusion and antimatter plasmas |
| Fusion energy is a future scientific and technological innovation capable of providing a permanent solution to the global energy problem. While tokamak and helical systems have been leading approaches to magnetic confinement, dipole magnetic fields—analogous to planetary magnetospheres—are known to enable plasmas to spontaneously form high-performance and stable structures. By incorporating this new confinement concept, we aim to improve reactor economy, accelerate fusion development, and ultimately realize advanced fusion systems that do not produce fast neutrons. |
| At the core of our laboratory’s activities is the RT-1 dipole device, an innovative experimental system that enables the magnetic levitation of a high-temperature superconducting coil in an uncooled condition—one of only a few such systems in the world. Using this advanced platform together with diverse diagnostic techniques—including microwave interferometry, particle flux, X-ray, and fluctuation measurements—we are exploring methods for generating and understanding plasmas suitable for advanced fusion. |
| Building on knowledge from plasma fusion research, we also investigate space weather phenomena occurring near Earth and conduct laboratory studies of electron–positron (antimatter) plasmas. Through the magnetically levitated dipole, we aim to reproduce in the laboratory not only fusion plasmas but also dynamic plasma processes found in space and in the realm of antimatter, seeking to uncover and apply the universal physics shared between the Earth and the cosmos. |