一个国际科学家团队剑桥大学的卡文迪许实验室has used 3D printing technology to develop a novel set of microscopic nanomagnets.
使用自定义的3D打印过程创建的纳米磁体是DNA启发的双螺旋的形状。根据研究团队的说法，这种非常规的结构以前所未有的方式将螺旋之间的强烈磁场相互作用赋予了强大的磁场相互作用。具体而言，通过互相扭曲，3D打印的螺旋在其产生的磁场中产生纳米级拓扑纹理。
该小组认为，它可以利用这种现象在纳米级紧密控制磁力，为“下一代”磁性设备铺平道路。
该研究的第一作者克莱尔·唐纳利（Claire Donnelly）解释说：“这种在此长度尺度上对磁场进行模拟的新能力使我们能够定义将哪些力施加到磁性材料上，并了解我们可以在对这些磁场进行模式的情况下走多远。如果我们能够控制纳米级上的这些磁力，我们将接近与二维相同的控制程度。”
The limitations of 2D magnetic systems
Though you may not realize it, magnetic devices are integral to many different parts of our lives. Magnets are used in energy generation applications, they’re used in data storage, and they’re crucial for day-to-day computing.
不幸的是，传统的计算设备基于2D磁系统，正迅速达到其微型化极限。因此，为了推进计算和数据存储，剑桥团队指出，过渡到3D磁系统的兴趣越来越大。使用3D纳米线体系结构，3D磁系统可以使自己适应更高的信息密度（更多的物理空间存储空间）和整体改进的性能。
Donnelly补充说：“围绕一项尚未建立的名为Racetrack Memory的技术进行了很多工作，首先是Stuart Parkin提出的。这个想法是将数字数据存储在纳米线的磁性域墙中，以生产具有高可靠性，性能和容量的信息存储设备。”
到目前为止，过渡到这个新领域已被证明很困难，因为有必要理解高达3D对系统的磁化和磁场的影响。
因此，Donnelly和团队的其他成员在过去几年中一直在研究和开发可视化3D磁性结构的新方法。他们还开发了一种用于磁性材料的3D打印技术 - 本研究中使用的一种。
Scaling magnetization to the third dimension
一旦印刷了纳米磁铁，剑桥团队就进行了3D测量Paul Scherrer Institute的瑞士光源的Pollux光束线。据报道，这是唯一提供柔软X射线层压扫描的光束线 - 一种先进的X射线成像技术。
The researchers found that their 3D printed helical magnets featured a different magnetization texture to what is usually seen in 2D systems. Pairs of walls between magnetic domains were found to be coupled, resulting in deformation. By attracting one another, the walls were seen to rotate and ‘lock into place’, generating strong bonds between the helices of the printed magnets (much like the bonds in a DNA double helix).
Donnelly said, “Not only did we find that the 3D structure leads to interesting topological nanotextures in the magnetisation, where we are relatively used to seeing such textures, but also in the magnetic stray field, which revealed exciting new nanoscale field configurations!”
Having successfully 3D printed magnets with three dimensional magnetization, the scientists will now explore the production of more complex systems with three dimensional magnetic fields. The work shows promise in a variety of domains, including particle trapping, imaging techniques, and smart materials.
Further details of the study can be found in the paper titled ‘由三维磁性纳米结构引起的复杂自由空间磁场纹理’.
磁性材料的3D打印允许创建智能系统和大量新型应用。来自Xiamen Universityhave previously3D打印射频（RF）探针头capable of performing both routine and unconventional Magnetic Resonance (MR) experiments. MR technology is widely used in scientific research, geological surveys, and clinical diagnosis via MRI scans.
在其他地方，来自格勒诺布尔大学have previously developed a method of3 d打印技术微观结构与可变形的磁铁ic fields。该方法涉及将磁性微粒添加到标准的两光子聚合（2pp）3D打印对象中。通过调整材料的特性以及珠子的方向，科学家能够创建一个复杂的纳米尖头，这些纳米尖头可以仅使用外部磁场进行操作。
订阅3D打印行业newsletterfor the latest news in additive manufacturing. You can also stay connected by following us on推特, liking us onFacebook，然后调查3D打印行业YouTube频道。
Looking for a career in additive manufacturing? Visit3D打印作业在行业中选择一系列角色。
特色图像显示了3D打印的螺旋纳米磁体及其新型磁场。图片通过剑桥大学。
