The previous record for the strongest continuous magnetic field of a 45-tesla set was established in 1999 at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in the United States by a hybrid magnet. This new record breaks the record previously held by the hybrid magnet. This previous record has been surpassed by Chinese researchers, who have now established a new world record for the highest steady magnetic field produced by a working magnet. Their magnet produced a steady field of 45.22 tesla (T), which is more than 900,000 times stronger than the magnetic field of the Earth.
This hybrid magnet has a 45.22-tesla field strength and is constructed with a resistive insert that is housed within a superconducting outsert that has a 32-mm hole. The original construction of the hybrid magnet took place in 2016 at the Steady High Magnetic Field Facility (SHMFF) in Hefei, China. It is currently the world’s second 40-tesla-level magnet. During that time period, it generated a core magnetic field that was equal to 40 teslas.
“To achieve higher magnetic fields, we innovated the structure of the magnet and developed new materials,” said Prof. KUANG Guangli, academic director of the High Magnetic Field Laboratory of the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CHMFL), which is where SHMFF is located. Additionally, the production method for the Bitter discs underwent some process improvements.
“The success of the 45.22-tesla magnet represents a major milestone in the development of magnetic technology in China and around the world,” said the researcher who led the project.