EUROMAGNET II

"A coordinated approach to access, experimental development and scientific exploitation of all European large infrastructures for high magnetic fields"

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Research infrastructures are part of the EC’s current priorities in structuring the European research area. Among these, the importance of high magnetic field facilities has been recognized, as witnessed by the continued EC funding of many high magnetic field projects. Under FP6, three different projects have been accepted. The Grenoble High Magnetic Field Laboratory ihas been running a RITA program (until 31/12/2007), whereas the TNA of all other European high field facilities is being coordinated by the I3 ‘EuroMagNET’ (until 31/12/2008). The European pulsed high magnetic field laboratories are executing a Design Study for the next generation pulsed field user facilities (until 31/3/2009). All these programs are running very satisfactorily and contribute to the excellence of Europe’s high magnetic field research. For FP7, the principal actors of Europe’s high magnetic field research, the Grenoble High Magnetic Field Laboratory (Grenoble, France), the High Field Magnet Laboratory (Nijmegen, the Netherlands), the Hochfeld Labor Dresden (Dresden, Germany) and the Laboratoire National des Champs Magnétiques Pulsés (Toulouse, France) propose to unite all their transnational access, together with joint research activities and networking activities into one I3, called ‘EuroMagNET II’. This I3 is considered as a very important step towards full collaboration between Europe’s high field facilities, which will bring European high magnetic field science to a comparable level of that in the USA. It is also a step towards the creation of a multi-site European Magnetic Field Laboratory (EMFL). Within the context of the ESFRI Roadmap Update, a proposal for such an EMFL is currently under consideration, for a planned realization in 2015.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

High magnetic fields can help to characterise materials with promising potential in energy and information processing. The European high magnetic field facilities have collectively advanced their technology as well as improved the service to their users.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

High magnetic fields can be used to investigate a material's magnetic and electronic properties, making them highly relevant in all areas of physics, chemistry and biology.

While many investigations require commonly available magnet technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging, others rely on fields only available at a limited number of high magnetic field facilities around the world, where the potential for discovery is the greatest. The http://www.euromagnet2.eu/ (EUROMAGNET II) project has encouraged and coordinated transnational access to all European large infrastructures for high magnetic fields.

A common access request procedure and selection committee have been created for this coordinated use, which will result in optimal use of capacity and increased user satisfaction. During the project duration, 86 % more access for European users has been realised than originally anticipated.

To further expand the high field user community, five user meetings, three workshops and three summer schools have been organised. Dissemination also included the publication of a quarterly magazine on new developments at the EUROMAGNET II facilities for all potential European high magnetic field users.

EUROMAGNET II has conducted three joint research activities to improve the facilities. These have enhanced the performance of the technical installations, determined properties of individual nanostructures and increased nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) sensitivity.

Important improvements in field noise and drift have been obtained, and a detailed study of the heat exchange in direct current (DC) magnets has been performed. The researchers also designed radial access pulsed magnets for use in X-ray, neutron and laser scattering as well as improved homogeneity magnets for pulsed-field NMR.

Set-ups to perform transport measurements on single nano objects in pulsed magnetic fields, and single nano-object luminescence and Kerr imaging in DC fields were tested and made available for use by external users. The importance of nanostructures is increasing rapidly and key examples are in the fields of semiconductor quantum dots and nanotubes.

Enhancement of NMR sensitivity compensates for the high cost of resistive DC magnetic fields and the limited duty cycles of pulsed magnetic fields. EUROMAGNET II devised several methods to improve NMR sensitivity and throughput, including the use of cryogenic low-noise preamplifiers and dynamic nuclear polarisation. The first pulsed field NMR experiment on a realistic sample, a cuprate high-temperature superconductor, was successfully performed.

Structuring and strengthening European research in high magnetic fields, EUROMAGNET II expects to contribute to the long-term development of the EU's knowledge-based economy.