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| High Field Magnet Laboratory | |
|---|---|
| Name | High Field Magnet Laboratory |
| Country | Netherlands |
| City | Nijmegen |
| Established | 1999 |
| Director | Hendrikus J. van der Zant |
| Affiliation | Radboud University Nijmegen; Delft University of Technology; Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM) |
High Field Magnet Laboratory The High Field Magnet Laboratory is a Dutch research facility specializing in the generation and use of extreme magnetism for experiments in condensed matter physics, material science, and nuclear magnetic resonance. Located in Nijmegen, the laboratory operates large resistive and hybrid magnets and hosts users from institutions such as Radboud University Nijmegen, Delft University of Technology, and international partners including CERN and Max Planck Society. The facility is noted for setting records in magnetic field strength and enabling measurements relevant to superconductivity, quantum Hall effect, and magneto-optical spectroscopy.
The laboratory originated from Dutch initiatives in high-field magnetism involving groups at Radboud University Nijmegen and the former FOM Institute network during the late 20th century, building on technologies developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (United States), and Tsukuba Magnet Laboratory. Formal consolidation and the establishment of a dedicated site in Nijmegen were completed with support from Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek and regional authorities, leading to its inauguration in the late 1990s. Over subsequent decades the laboratory expanded through collaborations with European Research Council projects, joint programs with Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, and participation in multinational initiatives such as Graphene Flagship and Human Frontier Science Program grants.
The facility houses resistive DC magnets, pulsed-field installations, and hybrid magnets developed with industry partners like Bruker, Oxford Instruments, and engineering firms from Germany and France. Key installations include multi-tesla resistive magnets capable of continuous fields above 30 tesla, pulsed magnets exceeding 70 tesla, and a 45-tesla hybrid magnet developed in collaboration with National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (United States)-style engineering teams. Instrumentation suites support techniques including nuclear magnetic resonance, electron spin resonance, magnetotransport measurement, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, and cryogenic platforms linked to Helium-3 and dilution refrigeration systems. Laboratory infrastructure integrates high-current power supplies from contractors associated with Siemens and ABB and precision measurement electronics from Stanford Research Systems and Keysight Technologies.
Researchers at the laboratory conduct experiments on high-temperature superconductivity, topological insulators, graphene, Weyl semimetals, and low-dimensional magnets, often in collaboration with groups from University of Cambridge, MIT, ETH Zurich, and Imperial College London. Studies have probed the quantum Hall effect, spintronics phenomena, and field-induced phase transitions relevant to applications in magnetic resonance imaging hardware development and materials for fusion research. The facility supports experiments linked to industrial partners such as ASML and Philips on magnet-resistant materials and measurement techniques for semiconductor device characterization.
Funding and collaboration streams include national agencies like Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek and European frameworks such as Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, plus bilateral grants with institutes including CEA Saclay, RIKEN, and Paul Scherrer Institute. The laboratory participates in user programs with the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics-associated networks and hosts visiting scientists from Princeton University, RIKEN, Tsinghua University, and Seoul National University. Industry collaborations and infrastructure grants have been secured through consortia involving Bruker, Oxford Instruments, and regional development bodies in Gelderland.
Operation of large resistive and pulsed magnets requires strict protocols developed with input from European Committee for Standardization guidelines and safety teams at Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre and industrial partners like Siemens. Challenges include managing thermal loads with helium refrigeration, controlling electromagnetic forces that affect structural components used in installations similar to those at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and mitigating risks associated with quench events and mechanical stresses. The laboratory maintains certified training programs for users, emergency response coordination with Nijmegen municipal services, and engineering redundancies influenced by practices at National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (United States) and Tsukuba Magnet Laboratory.
The laboratory has achieved multiple milestones, including enabling pulsed-field experiments above 70 tesla and sustained resistive fields surpassing 30 tesla, contributing to breakthroughs in understanding unconventional superconductivity and field-driven quantum criticality reported by teams from Radboud University Nijmegen, Delft University of Technology, and collaborators at Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids. It has hosted award-winning research recognized by honors such as the Spinoza Prize-associated projects and contributed data to high-impact publications in journals affiliated with American Physical Society and Nature Research. The facility's instrumentation and technical know-how have been cited in patents and technology transfers involving Philips and ASML.
Category:Physics laboratories Category:Research institutes in the Netherlands