Magnets

By David L. Chandler, Massachusetts Institute of Technology March 5, 2024In MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, the new magnets achieved a world-record magnetic field strength of 20 tesla for a large-scale magnet. Credit: Gretchen ErtlDetailed study of high-temperature superconducting magnets built by MIT and Commonwealth Fusion Systems confirms they meet requirements for an economic, compact fusion power plant.In the predawn hours of September 5, 2021, engineers achieved a major milestone in the labs of MIT’s Plasma…

New research discovered a groundbreaking connection between light and magnetism, promising revolutionary advancements in light-controlled memory technologies and magnetic sensors. This discovery challenges conventional understanding and could significantly impact data storage and device manufacturing across multiple sectors. Credit: Amir CapuaRecent research conducted at Hebrew University has uncovered a previously unknown connection between light and magnetism. This finding paves the way for the development of ultra-fast…

Earlier this month, a massive ship picked up over 5,000 electric cars from two ports in northern and southern China. Five days later, it passed through Singapore, and it is now headed for India. However, its final destination is in Europe, where most of the cars will be sold.  The ship’s name is BYD Explorer No.1. As the first of a massive fleet that BYD is building, it reflects the Chinese company’s ambition to establish a seafaring business that supports its new role in the global car trade. There's rising appetite…

Rare earth metals became ubiquitous across technologies because they represented “a huge jump” in the energy density of magnets when they were discovered in the 1960s, says Matthew Kramer, a senior scientist at Ames National Laboratory. One of the primary gauges of a magnet’s properties is its energy density, measured in mega-gauss-oersteds (MGOe). While the ferrite magnets on your fridge likely have an MGOe of around 5, neodymium-based magnets are much stronger, reaching around 50 MGOe. Rare earth metals like…

In 2021, Turkish scientist Hamdi Ucar discovered a novel form of magnetic levitation, where a rapidly rotating magnet caused a nearby magnet to levitate. This phenomenon, which defied classical physics, was replicated and studied by Professor Rasmus Bjørk and his team. They found that the levitating magnet aligns with the spinning magnet, creating an equilibrium akin to a spinning top. Credit: SciTechDaily.comScientists from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) have confirmed the underlying physics of a newly…

Researchers have advanced brain-inspired computing using chiral magnets, significantly reducing energy use in machine-learning tasks. The research marks progress towards more sustainable and adaptable computing technologies. An artistic representation of connected magnetic skyrmions as a computational medium for brain-inspired, reservoir computing. Credit: Dr. Oscar LeeA new study led by researchers from UCL and Imperial College London has brought us one step closer to a form of brain-inspired computing that exploits the…

China, one of the world's largest producer of rare earth metals that is used in practically every kind of electronics and EVs, is banning the tech that is used in production of rare earth magnets. This is in response to the escalating tensions between China and the US and its allies…

Photo: KeychronKeychron, the brand behind some of Gizmodo’s favorite mechanical keyboards for beginning enthusiasts, has launched a Kickstarter for a keyboard with a new switch. It’s called the Keychron Q1 HE, with “HE” referring to the Hall effect switches featured on this board, which use magnets rather than pins to detect keypresses.“Even AI Rappers are Harassed by Police” | AI UnlockedThe Keychron Q1 HE looks like the regular Keychron Q1 we reviewed in 2021. It has the same stock PBT keycaps and a solid aluminum…

GM Ventures and Stellantis Ventures have joined a growing list of investors that have recently raised $33 million in additional funding for Niron Magnetics – a company developing proprietary Clean Earth Magnets based on Iron Nitride that function without rare earths or other critical materials used in today’s EVs. Niron Magnetics is a technology company spun out from a program at the University of Minnesota that looks to eliminate environmentally destructive rare earth mining by replacing those…

While electric vehicles certainly offer a host of eco-friendly advantages, they're not without some asterisks, one being the rare earth materials (and harmful mining thereof) used to make the magnets intrinsic to most automotive-grade motors. New magnet-free motor designs are being pursued as one alternative, but General Motors is looking to Minneapolis startup Niron Magnetics to help it chart a different course. Niron's "Clean Earth" magnets are claimed to be the only rare-earth-free permanent magnets capable of…