China creates a magnetic field 800,000 times stronger than Earth’s without a superconductor

A new record has been broken. China has just created a magnetic field 800,000 times more powerful than Earth’s with a resistive magnet.

This feat is the result of years of hard work carried out by the team at the Hefei laboratory, a pioneering institution in the field.

On September 22, Chinese researchers produced a constant magnetic field of 42.02 Tesla, using a resistive magnet. This is a world record. This technology is not only a technical feat: it opens doors to major innovations. A magnetic field of this wingspan allows us to explore new phenomena in the matterrevealing still unknown physical laws.

Resistive magnets, like the one used for this record, are distinguished by their ability to generate very powerful magnetic fields, well beyond superconducting magnets. The fast and precise control they offer makes them the tools of choice for researchers.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences, via CHMFL, is also working on hybrid magnets. The latter, combining the properties of resistive and superconducting magnets, make it possible to reach record magnetic intensities, as in 2022 with a field of 45.22 teslas.

But why invest so much in the race for high magnetic fields? The answer is simple: these experimental tools are essential for research in materials physics, chemistry and even biology. More than ten Nobel Prize-winning discoveries have been made possible thanks to these magnets.

Today, scientists are able to manipulate matter in new ways thanks to these fields. This could lead to major technological advances, such as in metallurgy or the creation of new drugs via magnetic resonance.

This is only the beginning: the Hefei teams are already planning to develop even more powerful magnets. These new projects could well transform research in electronics, superconductivity, and in the fight against major diseases.

What is a high magnetic field and what types of magnets can generate it?

A high magnetic field is one whose intensity greatly exceeds that of natural magnetic fields, such as that of the Earth. It can reach several tens of teslas (theunit of measurement of the magnetic field). These fields make it possible to study rare or inaccessible physical phenomena under normal conditions.

They are generated by different types of magnets: resistive, superconducting or hybrid. Resistive magnets use large amounts of electrical energy to create a strong magnetic field, while superconductors harness materials cooled to extremely low temperatures, allowing fields to be generated without loss of energy. Hybrid magnets combine these two technologies to reach higher intensities, such as the 45.22 Tesla also produced in China in 2022.

How does a resistive magnet work?

A resistive magnet is made up of coils of metal wires in which a electric current circulates, thus generating a magnetic field. Unlike superconducting magnets, resistive magnets are cooled by water rather than liquid helium.

The flexibility of resistive magnets lies in their ability to quickly and precisely control the strength of the magnetic field. This characteristic makes it a preferred tool for research requiring frequent and adjusted variations in magnetic fields, particularly in the fields of materials physics and chemistry.

Why are high magnetic fields essential for scientific discoveries?

High magnetic fields make it possible to modify the properties of matter in unprecedented ways. By subjecting materials to intense fields, scientists can observe particular behaviors that only occur under these extreme conditions.

These conditions make it possible, for example, to explore phenomena such as superconductivity, where materials conduct electricity without resistance. They also play a key role in discoveries in chemistry and biology, facilitating the understanding of complex molecular reactions and essential biological mechanisms.

Additionally, high magnetic fields are at the heart of medical technologies like nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), used for diagnosis. By increasing the intensity of the fields, researchers hope to obtain more precise images and molecular information, thereby promoting advances in disease treatment and the development of new drugs.