High-Density Magnets Created

Judebert writes: "University of California, Riverside scientists have created diradical magnets: magnetic particles that have two unbonded electrons instead of just one. The problem with diradical substances is that they have always been extremely chemically active, so they never stayed around longer than a few microseconds at room temperature. The new substance is stable at room temperature, even when it's in solution. And it's not even metallic. This paves the way for newer, higher-density magnetic and magneto-optical media and devices. You can help distribute the load if you visit the text mirror instead."

Comments

Stronger magnets are always better

[mbessey]

For any application that uses magnets, higher magnetic strength is always an asset. Whether it allows you to reduce the weight of an assembly, or increase the amount of force for a given volume/weight, it's a good thing. Stronger magnets also allow you to store more data in a smaller area in a magnetic storage device, as someone else already mentioned.

Also, these "diradical" magnets are a fundamentally different kind of material than other magnets, which means that they may have other properties that allow the use of magnets where they couldn't be used before.

-Mark

would it bother to mention this is a joint team ?

[dario_moreno]

The leader of the group is french, and still
manages his lab in Toulouse. The project
is half french, half american, and students
travel continuously in between the two labs.

Re:And the practical advantage is...

[adminispheroid]

Frinstance, those small lightweight headphones that you use with your walkman were a miraculous innovation about 20 years ago, and what made them possible was advances in magnet technology. Before that, headphones of that quality weighed a couple pounds.

Right now, electric motors for e.g. hybrid vehicles could really use better magnets. Pull out your McMaster-Carr and see what a 200 horse high starting torque DC motor weighs, and how big it is. It's impressive.

Re:Better Magnets == Better Cars, is that true?

[sean23007]

It is true that electric motors are very efficient, but this ultra-strong magnet technology does not profess to increase the efficiency, but the power output. If you have a motor with 90% efficiency, you need to find a way to raise the gross output, not the efficiency. In internal combustion engines, which are anywhere between 10% and 25% efficient, raised efficiency is a huge bonus, but not in electric motors.

Stronger magnets will yield stronger electric motors, which may be able to finally bring them into the popular consumer automobile market. The powerful electric motor is the key to electric cars, because battery technology appears to have run its course (seen in a recent /. article).