--- title: "A Tiny Magnet Just Created the World’s Strongest Magnetic Field" description: "Scientists from Florida State University just created the world's strongest magnetic field using a toilet paper roll-sized magnet." date: "2019-06-13" modified: "2019-06-13" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/magnet-worlds-strongest-magnetic-field" categories: - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "electromagnets" - "magnets" - "superconductors" - "the digest" --- # A Tiny Magnet Just Created the World’s Strongest Magnetic Field ![Scientists from Florida State University just created the world's strongest magnetic field using a toilet paper roll-sized magnet.]() *\Image: Florida State/Victor Tangermann\* ## Big Attraction Scientists at the Florida State University-based National High Magnetic Field Laboratory [just created]() what they claim to be the world's strongest magnetic field using a toilet paper roll-sized magnet that's less than a centimeter thick. The miniature electromagnet was created by MagLab engineer Seungyong Hahn. It generated a world-record 45.5 tesla magnetic field — more than 20 times the strength of a hospital MRI magnet. https://youtu.be/RNJ5jV-egs8 Hahn and his team's research, [published]() in the journal *Nature* Thursday, describes how they achieved such a strong field using a new conductor and magnet design. The magnet's superconductors were made out of a new compound called REBCO (rare earth barium copper oxide), which can carry twice as much current as superconductors used for previous record-breaking magnets — meaning a stronger electromagnetic field. The team also skipped on adding insulation. "The fact that the turns of the coil are not insulated from each other means that they can share current very easily and effectively in order to bypass any of these obstacles," David Larbalestier, co-author of the paper, said. ## Magnet Revolution The team has big hopes for the technology. "This is indeed a miniaturization milestone that could potentially do for magnets what silicon has done for electronics," MagLab Director Greg Boebinger said in [a statement](). "This creative technology could lead to small magnets that do big jobs in places like particle detectors, nuclear fusion reactors and diagnostic tools in medicine." **READ MORE:** [National MagLab creates world-record magnetic field with small, compact coil]() \[Florida State University\] **More on electromagnets:** *[This Super Powerful Magnetic Field Puts Us One Step Closer to Nuclear Fusion]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()