Permanent Magnets
Permanent magnets retain their magnetization (high coercivity) and generate a magnetic stray field in the surrounding space without external power.
They are indispensable functional components of high‑efficiency traction motors, generators, and wind turbines that underpin electrification and decarbonization.
Continued advances — especially improved high‑temperature stability and reduced use of critical rare‑earth elements — directly translate into better EV performance and more efficient renewable‑energy conversion.
Our group has long-standing experience in permanent‑magnet research, integrating multiscale microstructure characterization, physics‑based and data‑driven simulations, and advanced processing.
For Nd‑Fe‑B magnets, we pioneered coercivity engineering via eutectic grain‑boundary processes; developed heavy‑rare‑earth‑free and rare‑earth‑lean magnets; realized high‑resistivity hot‑deformed magnets;
and tailored magnets for specific operating regimes (e.g., for variable‑magnetic‑force motors). We consistently link magnetic performance to intrinsic properties and microstructural features, employing micromagnetic simulations on realistic,
experiment‑derived models — digital twins built from FIB‑SEM tomography, TEM images, etc. — to reveal microstructural bottlenecks and guide processing toward ultimate coercivity. Beyond Nd‑Fe‑B, we are exploring hybrid magnets for transverse thermoelectric generation,
sintered magnets of the ThMn12 family, and other promising hard magnetic materials.
Soft Magnetic Materials
Soft magnetic materials are designed to reverse their magnetization with minimal energy loss, enabling efficient transformers, inductors, and EMI/EMC components —
especially important as power electronics move to higher switching frequencies in EV drivetrains, fast chargers, and data centers. Reducing core loss in the tens‑of‑kHz to MHz range is pivotal for smaller,
lighter, and more energy‑efficient power conversion, supporting an electrified and sustainable society.
In collaboration with partners, our group is developing Fe‑based amorphous/nanocrystalline ribbons with markedly lower core loss by co‑controlling nanocrystallization and magnetic‑domain structure.
We integrate multiscale characterization and data‑driven optimization to tune composition, nanostructural features, and stress states — translating microscopic control into macroscopic loss reduction.
Our goal is materials‑to‑device co‑design: linking intrinsic properties and microstructure to component‑level figures of merit (core loss, permeability, saturation flux density), and delivering manufacturable materials for
next‑generation energy and communications systems. Beyond power magnetics, we explore new use‑cases for soft magnetic alloys, including spin‑caloritronic devices, high‑frequency shielding for 5G/6G, etc.
Magnetocaloric Materials
Magnetocalorics heat/cool under changing magnetic fields and can enable solid‑state magnetic refrigeration, a potential alternative to vapor‑compression cooling with lower environmental impact.
They are especially promising for cryogenic temperature range (e.g., hydrogen liquefaction) and some near‑room‑temperature applications.
Our group developed magnetocaloric materials spanning the full hydrogen‑liquefaction temperature window, addressing a longstanding gap for cryogenic active‑magnetic‑regenerator (AMR) systems.
We continue the research with a special emphasis on physics of phase transition, the origins of thermal hysteresis and its controlling, heat diffusivity and other problems on the way to a broad commercialization of the magnetocaloric refrigeration with robust performance.
