The ITER project is an international collaboration among Japan, Europe, the United States, Russia, South Korea, China, and India, aimed at scientifically and technically demonstrating the feasibility of nuclear fusion energy. Japan plays a key role in developing and manufacturing major components, with QST serving as the domestic agency responsible for procurement activities.
Japan has demonstrated a strong presence in the development of gyrotrons, with eight of the 24 devices to be used at ITER being manufactured in Japan by Canon Electron Tubes & Devices. QST began gyrotron R&D in 1993 and, in 2008, achieved a world-first by developing a gyrotron that met ITER’s strict requirements for output, power efficiency, and microwave pulse duration. The recent installation of the first unit ahead of other countries highlights Japan’s technological leadership in this field.
A gyrotron is a large vacuum electron tube that generates high-power microwaves by utilizing the rotational motion of electrons spiraling along magnetic field lines. Its name is derived from this “gyro-motion.”
In ITER, the gyrotron is used to produce the extremely high temperatures necessary for initiating nuclear fusion reactions. Much like a microwave oven, it generates microwaves to heat plasma. Each device measures about three meters in length, and its output of one million watts is roughly 2,000 times greater than that of a household microwave oven.
