2015/07/01

The research team consisting of researchers at NIMS, RIKEN, Kobe Steel and JEOL RESONANCE successfully developed the NMR system equipped with world’s highest magnetic field, 1,020 MHz, during engagement in the JST’s program “Development of Systems and Technology for Advanced Measurement and Analysis”. In addition, taking actual measurements with this new system, the team confirmed its considerably enhanced performance compared to conventional NMR systems in terms of sensitivity and resolution.

For a long time, it was broadly expected that the use of high-temperature superconducting technology would enable producing magnetic fields above 1,000 MHz. However, because high-temperature superconductors had problems such as being fragile and difficult to process, no party had achieved their practical use for a long run.

Through developing several new technologies including the conversion of the high-temperature superconductor developed by NIMS in 1988 into the form of wire material, the research team recently created the NMR system equipped with world’s highest magnetic field at 1,020 MHz.

It is expected that the super-high magnetic field NMR will greatly contribute to various fields such as structural biology, analytical chemistry and materials engineering. Furthermore, considering that NMR requires a magnetic field with extraordinary precision, the high-temperature superconducting technology that was cultivated during the development of NMR is applicable to various high-tech systems such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), nuclear fusion, linear motor trains and superconducting power cables.

*World’s Highest Magnetic Field: 1020MHz (24.0T) As of Apr 17, 2015

The recently developed 1,020 MHz superconducting magnets
about 5 m high and weighing about 15 tons