Artistic impression of the magnetic omniconverter concept: An external magnetic field is shaped by spherical surfaces and a conical surface into a desired magnetic field configuration resembling the one of a monopole.
Illustration Credit: BOID/Chalmers
Scientific Frontline: Extended "At a Glance" Summary: Magnetic Omniconversion
The Core Concept: Magnetic omniconversion is a universal method capable of transforming a magnetic field from a single, simple source into virtually any predetermined configuration with exact mathematical precision.
Key Distinction/Mechanism: Instead of relying on complex, custom-built magnets or intricate coil systems for specific applications, this technique acts as a "magnetic sculptor." It uses carefully calculated geometries of ferromagnetic and superconducting materials to repel or attract fields, actively steering and reshaping a basic source field into an exact, desired form.
Origin/History: Developed collaboratively by physicists from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and Chalmers University of Technology, the breakthrough was published in the journal Science Advances in October 2026.
Major Frameworks/Components:
- Material Geometry: Employs precise geometric arrangements of materials that interact differently with magnetic fields.
- Superconducting and Ferromagnetic Elements: Uses superconducting materials (such as aluminum) alongside ferromagnetic components (such as cast iron) to steer magnetostatic fields.
- Source-Independent Molding: Provides a mathematically exact theoretical framework to convert non-uniform fields from basic coils into highly uniform or otherwise complex fields.
- Cryogenic Operation: Experimental proofs of concept operate at temperatures below one kelvin to maintain superconducting properties.
Branch of Science: Applied Physics, Quantum Technology, Electromagnetism, and Materials Science.
Future Application: This method paves the way for advanced instrumentation in quantum computers, next-generation MRI medical diagnostics, atomic clocks, particle accelerators, and fusion energy reactors.
Why It Matters: It eliminates the resource-intensive process of designing specialized magnets for individual applications, allowing simple magnetic sources to be universally adapted for complex technological and scientific needs requiring precise spatial control.
From medical diagnostics and quantum technologies to fusion energy and particle physics, many of tomorrow's key technologies rely on precisely controlled magnetic fields. Now, researchers at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and Chalmers University of Technology have developed a method that can transform the magnetic field from a single source into virtually any other magnetic field with mathematical precision.
Magnetic fields are invisible yet essential components in technologies ranging from MRI scanners and particle accelerators to atomic clocks and future quantum computers. Each of these applications requires magnetic fields with specific shapes and properties. Today, creating such tailored magnetic fields requires researchers and engineers to design specialized, carefully optimized magnets or large systems of coils for each individual application, a complex and resource-intensive process.
Now, a team of physicists from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and Chalmers University of Technology has developed a method that makes it possible to transform the magnetic field from a single source, such as a coil or a permanent magnet, into a broad class of predetermined magnetic fields with exact mathematical precision.
The breakthrough, known as magnetic omniconversion, has been published in Science Advances and enables simple magnetic sources to be used for a wide range of important applications.
“This is a universal method that removes previous limitations on how accurately an existing magnetic field can be transformed into another one,” says Witlef Wieczorek, professor of quantum technology at Chalmers University of Technology and one of the study's co-authors.
A magnetic sculptor delivers mathematical precision
Creating magnetic fields with a specific shape, such as uniform or quadrupolar fields, typically requires custom-built magnets or advanced coil systems carefully optimized for a particular purpose.
“Using combinations of coils, it is possible to approximate a desired magnetic field to high precision, but with magnetic omniconversion, the field generated is mathematically exact,” explains Fabian Resare, PhD student in quantum technology at Chalmers and co-author of the study.
The researchers' magnetic omniconversion acts as a kind of magnetic sculptor. By combining materials that either attract or repel magnetic fields, such as ferromagnetic and superconducting materials, they can steer and reshape a magnetic field into exactly the desired form. When these materials are arranged in a carefully calculated geometry, they determine how the magnetic field distributes over space. In this way, the researchers can effectively transform the field from a simple source into almost any other magnetic field with high precision.
Paving the way for novel technological capabilities
To demonstrate the method experimentally, the researchers built a prototype capable of transforming the nonuniform magnetic field from a simple coil into an almost perfectly uniform magnetic field. The device consisted of a superconducting aluminum tube and cast-iron components, which were manufactured by Lars Jönsson from the mechanical workshop at the Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience. When the device was cooled to temperatures below 1 kelvin, close to absolute zero, the measurements showed that the magnetic field inside the device closely matched the researchers' calculations, providing an important experimental proof of concept.
The team has filed a patent application for the technology and hopes the method will find practical applications in society and research.
“We hope that our magnetic omniconversion approach will contribute to the development of advanced instrumentation for quantum technologies and other areas where a precise spatial control of magnetic fields is essential,” says Witlef Wieczorek.
Funding: The project was funded by Horizon Europe (the EU project SuperMeQ), the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (PID2023-149054NB-I00), an AGAUR-FI Joan Oró fellowship (Generalitat de Catalunya), the European Research Council (ERC) through the SuperQLev project, and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.
Published in journal: Science Advances
Title: Magnetic omniconversion: Source-independent molding of magnetostatic fields
Authors: Jaume Cunill-Subiranas, Natanael Bort-Soldevila, Fabian Resare, Nuria Del-Valle, Witlef Wieczorek, and Carles Navau
Source/Credit: Chalmers University of Technology | Lovisa Håkansson
Edited by: Scientific Frontline
Reference Number: phy100926_01
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