Chinese researchers have surpassed all prior records by producing the strongest stable magnetic field. A hybrid magnet that created a magnetic field of 45.22 tesla (T), a million times stronger than the magnetic field of our planet, was used to create the most potent, constant magnetic field ever. At the Steady High Magnetic Field Facility (SHMFF) in the Chinese city of Hefei, the record was set. The historic feat was made possible using a composite magnet that was created in 2016. It was the second 40-T level magnet in the world when it first produced a core magnetic field of such strength. Since then, researchers have continued to work on the magnet, steadily strengthening it.
In order to increase the magnetic field, scientists reinvented the hybrid magnet’s construction, according to Kuang Guangli, academic director of the HFIPS High Magnetic Field Laboratory. “We experimented with the magnet’s construction and created new materials to obtain a larger magnetic field. The production of Bitter discs was also improved, according to Guangli.
He continued by saying that such powerful magnetic fields enable scientists to view the inside workings of materials and aid in the advancement of contemporary technology.
A resistive magnet is inserted into a 32-mm gap in the middle of a superconducting magnet in this hybrid magnet. This enables the two to combine their forces, creating a magnetic field that is extremely powerful. Here, each magnet has its own restrictions. The resistive magnet needs more power output than the superconducting magnet, which has minimal power input requirements.
A hybrid magnet at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory of the United States formerly held the record for producing the greatest magnetic field. In 1999, the magnet had generated a 45 T magnetic field.
