Recent Progress in ICRF Experiments on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST)

Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequency (ICRF) heating is a major auxiliary heating method used on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). This paper summarizes recent progress in ICRF experiments on EAST, including the upgrade of ICRF heating systems, improvements in ICRF coupling and core RF power absorption, and ICRF heating schemes. Furthermore, ICRF application in multiphysics studies is also discussed, including ICRF-induced Alfvén instabilities, sawtooth control, turbulence suppression, Ion Cyclotron Wall Conditioning (ICWC), and demonstration of good efficiency of ICRF for plasma heating in dominant RF-electron-heated plasmas relevant for ITER. These results demonstrate significant advances in ICRF performance and provide insights into wave–plasma interactions. They offer valuable guidance for improving heating efficiency and plasma control in next-generation fusion devices.