Chinese scientists on Friday produced a steady field of 45.22 Tesla, the highest of its kind in the world, according to Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The achievement occurred at the hybrid magnet of the Steady High Magnetic Field Facility (SHMFF) in the city of Hefei, Anhui Province, breaking the previous world record of 45 Tesla, created in 1999 by a hybrid magnet at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory of the United States.

Such a success represents an important milestone in the development of magnetic technology in China and the world. Stronger magnetic fields enable scientists to see the internal structures of materials more clearly, helping people understand the world better and develop new technologies, said Kuang Guangli, academic director of the HFIPS High Magnetic Field Laboratory, where SHMFF is based.

SHMFF's scientific team constructed the hybrid magnet in 2016, which generated a central magnetic field of 40 Tesla at the time, making it the second 40-Tesla level magnet in the world.

"To achieve a higher magnetic field, we innovated with the structure of the magnet, and developed new materials," said Kuang during an on-site verification process conducted by seven academicians. "The Bitter disc manufacturing process was also optimized."

SHMFF, open to scientists worldwide, has operated more than 500,000 machine hours since it began operation, providing over 170 scientific and educational institutions at home and abroad with the experimental conditions for cutting-edge research in multiple disciplines, including physics, chemistry, materials, the life sciences and engineering.