China’s superconducting magnet hits 351,000 gauss, breaks world record

Chinese scientists at the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP) have set a new world record by generating a steady magnetic field of 351,000 gauss—over 700,000 times stronger than Earth’s geomagnetic field—using a fully superconducting magnet. This surpasses the previous record of 323,500 gauss and marks a significant advancement in superconducting magnet technology. The magnet was developed through collaboration with the Hefei International Applied Superconductivity Center, the Institute of Energy of the Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, and Tsinghua University. The breakthrough was achieved by employing high-temperature superconducting insert-coil technology nested coaxially with low-temperature superconducting magnets, ensuring mechanical stability and electromagnetic performance under extreme conditions. This achievement has important implications for accelerating the commercialization of advanced superconducting instruments such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers used in medical imaging and chemical analysis. Moreover, the magnet supports critical technologies requiring strong and stable magnetic fields, including fusion magnet