Tallahassee Lab to Install 23.5-Tesla Magnet
The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory is building a new facility to house a nuclear magnetic resonance magnet funded by an $18 million National Science Foundation grant.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Materials Science
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Tallahassee's National High Magnetic Field Laboratory is getting a new facility to house a 23.5-tesla nuclear magnetic resonance magnet. The magnet is set to be installed in 2028 and made available to researchers in 2029.
Why it matters
The magnet will be one of the strongest in the United States and allows researchers to study elements on a molecular scale across multiple disciplines. Its capabilities are expected to support a wide range of research, including efforts to understand diseases and develop solid-state battery technology.
The project is funded by an $18 million National Science Foundation grant to build a facility for a 23.5-tesla nuclear magnetic resonance magnet. The magnet's ranking among the strongest in the United States is established, but which research programs will first use it has not been specified.
The players
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
The Tallahassee-based laboratory is a federally supported national facility that operates high-field magnets for researchers across many scientific disciplines.
National Science Foundation
The independent federal agency funds basic research and education in science and engineering and provided the $18 million grant for this project.
The details
The nuclear magnetic resonance magnet harnesses high magnetic fields and radio waves to examine samples with higher sensitivity across the periodic table. Researchers will be able to study elements on a molecular scale.
Timeline
2028: NMR magnet is set to be installed at the Tallahassee facility.
2029: The magnet becomes available for researcher use.
Deeper Dive
The magnet extends the capabilities of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, a national facility for high-field research. It adds a 23.5-tesla nuclear magnetic resonance system to instruments the laboratory already offers to the research community.
The magnet could lead to new technology for solid-state batteries and better understanding of certain diseases. Researchers across disciplines may gain access to the instrument once it becomes available in 2029.
The takeaway
Advanced instruments like this 23.5-tesla magnet can open research paths across scientific fields, from medicine to energy storage. Readers following the project should watch for the 2028 installation and the 2029 opening to researchers.
Further reading
Explore more Materials Science coverage for context on how high-field magnets support research into new materials and batteries.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WFSU News.
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