The Wuhan National High Magnetic Field Center (WHMFC) is a national-level  scientific platform dedicated to research in high magnetic field science, technology, and applications. It is responsible for the construction and operation of the national major scientific and technological infrastructure related to pulsed high magnetic fields.

The Pulsed High Magnetic Field Facility (PHMFF) is one of the 12 National Major Science and Technology Infrastructure Projects under the 'National Eleventh Five-Year Plan,' which was officially approved in October 2007. The National Development and Reform Commission approved the construction of the facility in January 2007, with construction beginning in April 2008 at Huazhong University of Science and Technology. The facility was completed in October 2013, received national approval in October 2014, and was officially opened for operation. It is the first major scientific and technological infrastructure to be built and operated by a university as a legal entity under the Ministry of Education.

Composition of the PHMFF

The facility consists of magnets, power sources, control systems, low-temperature systems, and scientific experimental systems. It houses 12 types of series pulsed magnets of various series, including short-pulse magnets, long-pulse magnets, and long-short composite pulsed magnets, with the highest field strength reaching 94.8T. The power sources include 30.45MJ/25kV capacitor storage type, 100MJ/100MVA pulsed generator type, and 12.2GJ battery-type power sources, making it the most diverse in terms of power sources. The facility has eight scientific experimental stations, including for electrical transport, magnetic properties, magneto-optics, and electron spin resonance, with the precision and signal-to-noise ratio of the electrical transport and magnetic property measurement systems reaching world-class levels. The central control system achieves coordinated operation of various power sources, multi-stage magnets, and multiple experimental stations with precise timing control, setting a leading standard for similar facilities worldwide.

The facility's construction has been highly praised by domestic and international peers. In October 2013, an international evaluation committee assessed the facility and concluded: "The Wuhan Pulsed High Magnetic Field Facility is now among the best pulsed high magnetic field experimental facilities in the world. Achievements in power source design and magnet technology have reached the top global level." In October 2014, the facility passed national acceptance, with the evaluation committee noting: "The project was completed as planned, with the specified targets and budget, and in high quality," and that "its excellent performance has made it one of the best pulsed high magnetic field facilities in the world." In May 2018, the facility underwent a second international evaluation, which assessed it as "one of the leading pulsed high magnetic field facilities globally" and recognized its significant contribution to supporting cutting-edge research, with an even greater future impact.

The facility's construction ended China's lack of a large pulsed high magnetic field facility and met the urgent experimental needs of Chinese scientists. It has run for over 90,000 hours, supporting more than 2,000 experiments for over 130 domestic and international research institutions, including Peking University, Tsinghua University, the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harvard University, the University of Cambridge, and the Dresden High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Germany. Over 1,800 papers have been published in journals such as Nature, Science, and PRL, resulting in numerous original discoveries, including the discovery of a third type of law in logarithmic periodic quantum oscillations. This has greatly enhanced China's original innovation capabilities and international competitiveness in frontier sciences such as physics, chemistry, and materials science.

Optimization and Enhancement of the PHMFF

To further enhance the overall performance and open-operation level of the facility, in June 2020, the National Pulsed High Magnetic Field Science Center launched the optimization and enhancement project for the Pulsed High Magnetic Field Experimental Facility, based on extensive consultation with users and demand surveys. The project was included in the 14th Five-Year Plan for national major scientific and technological infrastructure construction in October 2021, and received approval for its estimated budget in November 2023 from the National Development and Reform Commission, with a total investment of 2.09651 billion yuan and a construction period of five years.

Schematic top view of the PHMFF (A) Building of stage I (8,000 m², accomplished in 2011). (B) Building of stage II (47,000 m², planned to be accomplished in 2026). (C)Simulated waveform of 110-T magnetic field pulse.

Overall Goal

To build a leading multi-spatial and multi-temporal ultra-high pulsed magnetic field experimental facility with complete functions, providing extreme experimental conditions for multidisciplinary research in material science, life sciences, and strong electromagnetic engineering science. The facility will support sustained groundbreaking original innovations in frontier basic scientific research and become the largest and most influential pulsed high magnetic field science center globally.

Engineering Goals

To develop magnetic field systems and experimental testing systems, including the 110T ultra-strong magnetic field, 70T flat-top pulsed magnetic field, and 9.5T superconducting pulsed composite magnetic field, and the supporting infrastructure for experimental platforms, while continually challenging electromagnetic limits and setting world records for magnetic field parameters to lead the development of strong magnetic field technologies.

Scientific Goals

To focus on major scientific issues such as superconducting mechanisms and quantum state control in material science, brain function imaging and biomolecular dynamics in life sciences, and extreme working condition materials and interactions in strong electromagnetic engineering science. The goal is to conduct cutting-edge basic scientific research, solve key technical bottlenecks, produce major original innovations to meet national strategic needs, and contribute to national economic development and regional innovation.

Construction Content

Based on the existing Pulsed High Magnetic Field Experimental Facility from the 11th Five-Year Plan, the project will optimize and upgrade the facility focusing on improving magnetic field parameters, enriching measurement methods, and expanding research areas. The construction will involve magnetic systems, experimental testing systems, facility support platforms, and supporting infrastructure such as civil works and public utilities. Key developments include the 110T pulsed high magnetic field, 70T flat-top pulsed magnetic field, and 9.5T superconducting pulsed composite magnetic field series, along with power supplies, control systems, and low-temperature subsystems. The experimental testing systems will be upgraded or newly built for various types of experiments, including comprehensive physical properties, electrical transport, magnetic properties, magneto-optics, magnetic heat, solid-state NMR spectroscopy, strong magnetic field scanning tunneling spectroscopy, biomagnetic resonance, high-power terahertz spectroscopy, and material morphology control. The facility support platform will focus on sample preparation, low-temperature and vacuum development, data storage and analysis, and magnet development testing.

The construction will take place in the East Campus of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, adjacent to the first phase, covering approximately 36.7 acres with a total construction area of 47,000 square meters. The project will include the construction of three main buildings: the Pulsed Experiment Building, the Superconducting Experiment Building, and the Development and Testing Building. Once completed, the new facility will seamlessly integrate with the first phase of the project, with unified management and operation.