Record-setting 42.02 T resistive magnet of SHMFF commences service for global scientists

On September 22, 2024, the resistive magnet of the Steady High Magnetic Field Facility (SHMFF) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences High Magnetic Field Laboratory (CHMFL) in Hefei Institutes of Physical Science sustained a steady magnetic field of 42.02 T, setting a new world record of its kind. It is China’s second magnet that can generate a steady-state magnetic field exceeding 40 T, following the 2022 breakthrough, when the SHMFF hybrid magnet, combining resistive and superconducting elements, produced a magnetic field of 45.22 T, the highest to date. High magnetic fields are essential extreme experimental conditions crucial in scientific discovery. Studies are conducted in high magnetic fields to explore new phenomena, synthesize new materials, and develop novel technology in various disciplines, such as condensed matter physics, materials science, chemistry, biology, life science, and quantum information science. For instance, high magnetic fields are used to investigate strongly correlated electron systems and topological materials, to facilitate the synthesis and characterization of new materials, to understand their structures and defects, and to obtain higher sensitivity and resolution with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the study of molecular structures.