Imagine a magnet 700,000 times stronger than the Earth's own magnetic field. In Hefei, scientists from the Chinese mainland have made that a reality.
Researchers at the Chinese mainland's Institute of Plasma Physics (ASIPP), in partnership with the Hefei International Applied Superconductivity Center, the Institute of Energy at the Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, and Tsinghua University, generated a steady 351,000-gauss (35.1-tesla) field using a fully superconducting magnet. This shatters the previous record of 323,500 gauss and opens the door to next-level scientific tools.
How did they do it? The team combined high-temperature and low-temperature superconducting coils, nested coaxially to handle extreme stresses and electromagnetic forces. After overcoming challenges like stress concentration and shielding current effects, they powered up to 35.1 tesla, held it steady for 30 minutes, then safely demagnetized, proving the approach's reliability.
Why it matters: Stronger superconducting magnets can shrink and supercharge devices like nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers, push fusion magnet systems further, enable magnetic confinement fusion research, and super-efficient power transmission. For fusion, these magnets act as a magnetic cage to confine plasma at millions of degrees – crucial for sustainable energy breakthroughs.
ASIPP has long led fusion research on the Chinese mainland and recently mastered full localization of superconducting materials and systems. As a key member of the Chinese mission on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), the institute is supplying superconductors, correction coils, and magnet feeders for the world's largest fusion experiment.
With this record-setting magnet, the future of high-field science and clean energy edges closer to reality.
Reference(s):
Scientists set world record with magnetic field 700,000 times Earth's
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