Direct current magnetic field world record broken at 45.5 Tesla
Expected to have ripple effects on the medical, power generation, energy, and environmental industries.
High-temperature superconducting magnet technology expected to be a catalyst for commercialization

A research team led by Professor Han Seung-yong of the School of Electrical and Information Engineering at Seoul National University, in collaboration with the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in the United States, achieved the world record for a DC magnetic field using a 'no-insulation high-temperature superconductor magnet'.

Through this study, Professor Han Seung-yong's research team recorded a DC magnetic field of 45.5 Tesla, breaking the world record of 44.8 Tesla, which had not been surpassed for the past 20 years.

The results of this study were published in the international journal Nature on June 13.

"Professor Han Seung-yong explained, 'The results of this study demonstrate that through new uninsulated high-temperature superconducting magnet technology, it is possible to generate ultra-high magnetic fields that surpass existing limitations more safely, while also achieving miniaturization to a level previously unimaginable.'"

He added, "If the results of this study are utilized, future medical fields such as MRI for cancer diagnosis and analytical equipment for new drug development, wind power generation, "It will have a significant ripple effect across the entire industry, including the energy sector such as energy storage devices, the environment sector such as wastewater treatment, the transportation sector such as electric propulsion, and high-efficiency industrial equipment," they stated.

In the case of MRI for cancer diagnosis, the magnetic field of the equipment currently used for clinical purposes is at the 3 Tesla level, and equipment with a magnetic field of 10 Tesla is under research. Based on the results of this study, if a clinical MRI of 45 Tesla or higher is developed, it is expected to be highly effective in diagnosing early-stage cancer or vascular brain diseases such as dementia, as it will be possible to obtain diagnostic images with a resolution more than 100 times higher than existing ones.
Professor Han Seung-yong's research team is being recognized for changing the paradigm of superconducting magnet fabrication methods by proposing, for the first time in the world, an insulation-free high-temperature superconducting magnet structure that intentionally eliminates the electrical insulation previously considered essential in conventional superconducting magnets.

The research team developed an 'insulated high-temperature superconducting insert coil' designed with a diameter of 34 mm and a height of 53 mm, which has an energy density more than 50 times higher than existing superconducting magnets.

The results of this study are expected to pave the way for the commercialization of high-temperature superconducting magnet technology.

In the early stages of the research, there was difficulty in identifying the cause of the unique mechanical deformation that occurs when an insulated high-temperature superconducting magnet is driven in an ultra-high magnetic field of 45.5 Tesla. However, through research support from Samsung Electronics’ Future Technology Development Center, a new technique was developed to interpret the nonlinear current characteristics occurring in the insulated high-temperature superconducting magnet, and the principle of the mechanical deformation was identified.