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American Journal of Physics -- June 2001 -- Volume 69, Issue 6, pp. 702

Diamagnetically stabilized magnet levitation

M. D. Simon1, L. O. Heflinger2, and A. K. Geim3

1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
25001 Paseo de Pablo, Torrance, California 90505
3Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom

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Stable levitation of one magnet by another with no energy input is usually prohibited by Earnshaw’s theorem. However, the introduction of diamagnetic material at special locations can stabilize such levitation. A magnet can even be stably suspended between (diamagnetic) fingertips. A very simple, surprisingly stable room temperature magnet levitation device is described that works without superconductors and requires absolutely no energy input. Our theory derives the magnetic field conditions necessary for stable levitation in these cases and predicts experimental measurements of the forces remarkably well. New levitation configurations are described which can be stabilized with hollow cylinders of diamagnetic material. Measurements are presented of the diamagnetic properties of several samples of bismuth and graphite. © 2001 American Association of Physics Teachers.

© 2001 American Association of Physics Teachers

EDITORIALLY RELATED

  1. Comment on "Diamagnetically stabilized magnetic levitation," by M. D. Simon, L. O. Heflinger, and A. K. Geim [Am. J. Phys. 69, 702 (2001)]
    R. I. Joseph
    Am. J. Phys. 70, 188 (2002)AJPIAS000070000002000188000001

KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

magnetic levitation, diamagnetism, teaching

PACS

  • 85.70.Rp

    Magnetic levitation, propulsion and control devices

RELATED DATABASES

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History
Received Nov 2000
Accepted Apr 2001

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

0002-9505 (print)  

Publisher

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef American Association of Physics Teachers

ARTICLE DATA

Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1119/1.1375157

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