Multi-axis magnetic field vector generation

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product are disclosed. The method includes obtaining a configuration of a dipole line (DL) magnet and selecting a magnetic field vector to generate. The method also includes determining an orientation of the DL magnet for generating the magnetic field vector based on the configuration.

Description

Background Art

[0001] The present disclosure relates to magnetic field vector generation, and more particularly, to magnetic field vector generation using rotating parallel dipole wire magnets.

[0002] Generating magnetic field vectors in one to three spatial dimensions (e.g., multi-axis magnetic field vectors) has applications in a wide range of scientific and engineering fields. For example, modern technical applications of multi-axis magnetic field vectors can include analytical techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic particle imaging (MPI), vibrating sample magnetometry, and measurements based on magnetoresistance, Hall effect, Faraday rotation, magneto-optical Kerr effect, ferromagnetic resonance, etc. These applications typically require strong direct current or alternating current (DC or AC) magnetic fields. Summary of the invention

[0003] Various embodiments are directed to a method comprising obtaining a configuration of a dipole line (DL) magnet and selecting a magnetic field vector to be generated. The method also includes determining an orientation of the DL magnet for generating the magnetic field vector based on the configuration. Advantages of the disclosed method may include enabling the generation of magnetic field vectors in one to three dimensions depending on the configuration. For example, there may be at least one independent / slave DL magnet pair, at least two parallel independent DL magnets, three mutually orthogonal independent DL magnets, three independent DL magnets located at the vertices of a triangle, and the like. The maximum torque for generating the magnetic field may also be determined. In some embodiments, the orientation of the DL magnet may be adjusted based on a magnetic field determined by a Hall sensor. This may be advantageously used to obtain the correct orientation of the DL magnet.

[0004] Further embodiments are directed to a system comprising a memory and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to perform the method. Additional embodiments are directed to a computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by the processor to cause an apparatus to perform the method.

[0005] The above summary is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The accompanying drawings included in this application are incorporated into the specification and form a part of the specification. They show embodiments of the present disclosure and are used to explain the principles of the present disclosure together with the specification. The accompanying drawings only illustrate certain embodiments and do not limit the present disclosure.

[0007] Figure 1A A block diagram of a magnetic field vector generation environment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0008] Figure 1BA schematic diagram of a dipole line (DL) magnet configuration is shown according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0009] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a DL magnet configuration for generating a one-dimensional (1D) magnetic field vector using a pair of DL magnets according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0010] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a magnet configuration for generating a two-dimensional (2D) magnetic field vector using two independent DL magnets according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0011] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a magnet configuration for generating a 2D magnetic field vector using three independent DL magnets according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0012] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a magnet configuration for generating a 2D magnetic field vector using four independent DL magnets according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0013] Fig. 6A A schematic diagram of a magnet configuration for generating a 3D magnetic field using three independent DL magnets according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0014] Figure 6B According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, Fig. 6A Example magnetic field distribution produced by the magnet configuration.

[0015] Fig. 7A A schematic diagram of a magnet configuration for generating a 3D magnetic field using three pairs of DL magnets according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0016] Figure 7B According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, Fig. 7A An exemplary outline of all possible magnetic field point vectors produced by a magnet configuration.

[0017] Figure 8 A flow chart of a method for generating a magnetic field vector according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0018] Fig. 9 A block diagram of a computer system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0019] Although the present invention may have various modifications and alternative forms, its details have been shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and will be described in detail. However, it should be understood that its purpose is not to limit the present invention to the specific embodiments described. On the contrary, the present invention covers all modifications, equivalents and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to magnetic field vector generation, and more specifically to magnetic field vector generation using rotating parallel dipole wire magnets. While the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to such applications, aspects of the present disclosure may be appreciated through discussion of examples using this context.

[0021] Various embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to the relevant drawings, wherein the same reference numerals refer to the same parts. Without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, alternative embodiments may be designed. Note that various connections and positional relationships (e.g., above, below, adjacent, etc.) are described between the elements in the following description and the drawings. Unless otherwise specified, these connections and / or positional relationships may be direct or indirect, and the present disclosure is not intended to be limited in this regard. Therefore, the coupling of entities may refer to direct or indirect coupling, and the positional relationship between entities may be direct or indirect positional relationship. As an example of an indirect positional relationship, it is mentioned in this specification that forming layer "A" on layer "B" includes such a situation, wherein one or more intermediate layers (e.g., layer "C") are between layer "A" and layer "B", as long as the relevant characteristics and functions of layer "A" and layer "B" are not substantially changed by the intermediate layer.

[0022] The following definitions and abbreviations are used to interpret the claims and specification. As used herein, the terms "comprises," "including," "having," "containing," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a composition, mixture, process, method, article, or apparatus that includes a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such composition, mixture, process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0023] For purposes of the description below, the terms "upper", "lower", "right", "left", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom" and their derivatives shall refer to the described structures and methods as oriented in the accompanying drawings. The terms "overlying", "on top", "above", "positioned on" or "positioned on top" indicate that a first element, such as a first structure, is present on a second element, such as a second structure, wherein intermediate elements, such as interface structures, may be present between the first element and the second element. The term "direct contact" means that a first element (e.g., a first structure) and a second element (e.g., a second structure) are connected without any intermediate conductive, insulating or semiconducting layer at the interface of the two elements.

[0024] As used herein, the articles "a" and "an" preceding an element or component are intended to be non-limiting to the number of instances (i.e., occurrences) of the element or component. Therefore, "a" or "an" should be understood to include one or at least one, and unless the number obviously means to be singular, the singular form of the element or component also includes the plural.

[0025] As used herein, the terms "invention" or "present invention" are non-limiting terms and are not intended to refer to any single aspect of the particular invention, but encompass all possible aspects and / or combinations of aspects as described and claimed.

[0026] Unless otherwise specified, the ranges indicated herein (e.g., time, concentration, temperature, etc.) include both endpoints and all values ​​between the endpoints. Unless otherwise specified, the use of terms such as "about", "substantially", "approximately", "slightly less than" and their variations (~), or terms is intended to include the degree of error associated with the measurement of a specific amount of equipment available when submitting this application. For example, "about" may include a range of ±8% or 5% or 2% of the endpoint of a given value, a range of values, or a range of one or more values. Unless otherwise specified, terms such as these terms are used in conjunction with the use of the range to apply to both ends of the range (e.g., "about 1G-5G" should be interpreted as "about 1G-about 5G"), and in conjunction with the range list, it is applicable to each range in the list (e.g., "about 1G-5G, 5G-10G, etc." should be interpreted as "about 1G-about 5G, about 5G-about 10G, etc.").

[0027] Turning now to an overview of techniques related to aspects of the present disclosure, the generation of magnetic field vectors has a wide range of applications, which may include analytical techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic particle imaging (MPI), vibrating sample magnetometry, and measurements based on magnetoresistance, Hall effect, Faraday rotation, magneto-optical Kerr effect, ferromagnetic resonance, etc. For example, techniques such as Hall effect measurements can be used for semiconductor characterization. Typically, applications involving magnetic field vectors require the generation of strong direct current or alternating current (DC or AC) magnetic fields.

[0028] Conventional techniques for generating strong magnetic field vectors may include the use of one or more electromagnetic coils, such as a pair of coils in a Helmholtz coil configuration. However, coil-based implementations may require a bulky setup, a cooling system for large field operation, and an expensive power supply system. In addition, electromagnetic coil systems are inherently large inductors, making it difficult to obtain large magnetic fields at high frequencies due to the large impedance.

[0029] Embodiments of the present disclosure can overcome the shortcomings of electromagnetic coil systems by utilizing permanent magnets to generate magnetic field vectors. Permanent magnets, such as rare earth permanent magnets, can be used to generate large magnetic fields, such as about 1 Tesla or higher, and have been used in constructions such as Halbach arrays, dual rings, disks, and parallel dipole line magnets. The use of permanent magnets can provide more flexibility in the architecture of magnetic field vector generator systems.

[0030] The disclosed technology can include using a dipole line (DL) magnetic configuration to generate magnetic field vectors in one to three spatial dimensions. A DL magnet, also known as a diameter magnet, is a cylindrical permanent magnet with a magnetization (or transverse magnetization) oriented along its diameter. The magnet can be modeled as a linear distribution of transverse dipoles. A pair of DL magnets with cylindrical axes pointing in the same direction is called a PDL magnet. A PDL magnet pair can be used as a diamagnetic trap system that presents a humpback confining potential along the longitudinal axis. In semiconductor metrology, a rotating PDL magnet can be used to generate a one-dimensional (1D) AC magnetic field, which has been used as a commercial Hall measurement system, which is also called a PDL Hall system.

[0031] In some embodiments, DL magnets generate magnetic field vectors with higher cost efficiency than electromagnetic coils. For example, in some embodiments, DL magnet systems do not require expensive power supplies and cooling systems of electromagnetic coil-based systems. In addition, DL magnet systems can achieve strong magnetic fields (e.g., about 1 Tesla or higher) using a more compact setup than coil-based systems. The disclosed DL system can also be adjusted to generate both DC fields and AC fields in one to three dimensions. These properties can allow the use of DL magnets as basic building blocks for many applications involving the generation of magnetic field vectors.

[0032] Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals represent the same or similar elements, Figure 1A A block diagram of a magnetic field vector generation environment 100 is shown, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0033] Environment 100 includes a DL magnet system 105 having at least one motor-driven magnet ( Figure 1A In some embodiments, the motor 120 is a stepper motor. The shaft 115 of the motor 120 may have an attached gearbox (not shown) for adjusting (e.g., increasing) the torque τ in the DL system 105. The environment 100 also includes a computing system 130 (e.g., Fig. 9 900 shown in FIG. 1 ).

[0034] Components of computing system 130 are in electrical communication with Hall sensors 140, which may be used to determine the orientation of magnets in DL system 105, and a controller (not shown) for rotating magnets of DL system 105, regulating torque via gearbox / shaft 115, etc. In some embodiments, such as in applications involving optical Hall measurements for semiconductor device testing, environment 100 may include components (not shown) for performing Hall measurements, such as a sample stage, measurement chamber, light source, photodetector, etc. Computing system 130 may be used to control an instrument (not shown) having components for source and measure operations, switch matrices and buffer amplifiers, motor control, magnetic field sensors, temperature control, etc.

[0035] Figure 1B A schematic diagram of a DL magnet configuration 101 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The structure 101 includes a cylindrical magnet 110 of length L, radius R, and transverse magnetization M. The DL magnet 110 can be an example of a single magnet in a structure with two or more magnets shown here. When the length of the magnet 110 is much greater than its radius (L>>R), the magnetic field lines outside the magnet 110 are circular in the xy plane. The field strength distribution at a distance r from the DL magnet 110 exhibits line dipole behavior B~r in the near field range (r<L). -2 To the far field range (r>L) point dipole behavior B~r -3 transformation.

[0036] The long dipole wire magnet 110 can generate a magnetic field represented by the following equation

[0037]

[0038] where μ 0 is the vacuum permeability, m L is the magnetic moment per unit length L, B in its cartesian components and The magnet 110 can be rotated (for example, using Figure 1A The motor 120 shown in FIG. 1 is rotated to a phase angle θ detected by a Hall sensor 140. Rotating the magnet 110 to an angle θ can generate the following magnetic field:

[0039]

[0040] The magnetic field B on the xy plane can be approximated by the field generated by a long DL magnet (L>>R). Equation 2 applies to the near-field condition r<L, where the magnitude of the magnetic field at a point P on the xy plane is:

[0041]

[0042] Therefore, the magnitude of the magnetic field at point P is It is independent of the orientation of the magnet 110. When the magnet 110 is rotated by an angle θ, the magnetic field vector at point P rotates -θ and sweeps a radius B. 0 Circular path 150. Given the phase angle θ detected by the Hall sensor 140, the magnetic field vector B at point P can be determined.

[0043] In the following examples, the magnetic field vector may be generated by the DL magnet system 105 using at least two magnets that are the same as the magnet 110. The magnets may be motor driven or free spinning. Although the motor 120 is not shown in all subsequent figures, it should be understood that the motor driven magnets may be generated by a motor such as Figure 1A The motor 120 shown in FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the motor rotation of the motor 120. The motor driven and free-spinning magnets are also referred to herein as "independent" and "slave" magnets, respectively.

[0044] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a DL magnet configuration 200 for generating a one-dimensional (1D) magnetic field vector according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Configuration 200 includes an independent magnet 210A and a slave magnet 210B (collectively referred to as magnets 210). Magnets 210 are separated by a gap of distance G. By rotating the independent magnet 210A using a motor 120, a one-dimensional (1D) oscillating magnetic field B can be generated. The slave magnet 210B can rotate freely and reflect the orientation of the motor-driven magnet 210A. The net magnetic field B is always in one direction ( Figure 2 ) because each magnet 210 is aligned in an orthogonal direction ( Figure 2 The rotation of magnet 210 generates a unidirectional single harmonic magnetic field B at the center of structure 200. The 1D oscillating magnetic field B (black block arrow) points in the x direction and takes a sinusoidal form:

[0045] B(t)=B 0 cosωt (4)

[0046] Where t is time, ω is the oscillation frequency, and B is the amplitude 0 , which is given as:

[0047]

[0048] Where Eq. 5 is accurate for long DL magnets, where L>>R.

[0049] Figure 3A schematic diagram of a magnet configuration 300 for generating a two-dimensional (2D) magnetic field vector using two independent DL magnets 310A and 310B (collectively referred to as magnets 310) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Magnets 310 can generate a 2D vector at the center of structure 300. Motor-driven magnets 310 can be at an angle θ 1 and θ 2 Independent rotation to max The total magnetic field B is generated within the defined circle 315 T max In configuration 300, the maximum magnetic field B within the limits of a long magnet (L>>R) max is given as:

[0050]

[0051] Among them B 0 is the maximum magnetic field that each magnet can produce at the point of interest at the origin.

[0052] In a 1D alternating current (AC) field, β 2 =ωt corresponds to the phase of the oscillation. For configuration 300, β 2 Can be defined as:

[0053]

[0054] For generating a total magnetic field vector B in the structure 300 T =B T The orientations of magnets 310A and 310B (angles θ 1 and θ 2 ) can be found using equations 8 and 9 below, where is the vector B T Polar angle relative to the +x axis:

[0055] θ 1 =-α-β 2 (8)

[0056] θ 2 = -2α-θ 1 =-α+β 2 (9)

[0057] To calculate the maximum torque required to rotate the magnet, define the unit torque τ 0 , as shown in Equation 10:

[0058]

[0059] The maximum torque τ required to generate the magnetic field vector in configuration 300 max Equation 11 can be used to find: ​

[0060]

[0061] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a magnet configuration 400 for generating a 2D magnetic field vector using three independent DL magnets 410A, 410B, and 410C (collectively referred to as 410) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In the example shown, the magnets 410 are positioned at the vertices of an equilateral triangle at a distance R from the center. However, this configuration 400 can be generalized to other triangular configurations (e.g., where the magnets 410 are positioned at the vertices of an isosceles triangle). The motor-driven magnets 410 can be positioned at an angle θ 1 ,θ 2 , and θ 3 are independently rotated to generate a 2D vector at the center of configuration 400. In configuration 400, it is possible to max =3B 0 Any magnetic field is generated within the defined circle 415. The maximum magnetic field Bmax generated therein can be given as:

[0062]

[0063] In determining the magnetic field vector B generated in configuration 400 T =B T ∠α solution, β 3 can be defined as follows:

[0064]

[0065] Among them, in 1D alternating current (AC) field, β 3 =ωt corresponds to the phase of the oscillation.

[0066] Used to generate magnetic field vector B T =B T The angle of magnets 410A, 410B and 410C of ∠α can be found using the following equation:

[0067] θ 1 =β 3 -α (14)

[0068]

[0069]

[0070] The first magnet 410A can be arranged in a simple manner (relative to β 3 This can limit the rotation of the other two magnets 410B and 410C, which is β 3 The maximum torque τ required in configuration 400 maxcan be given as:

[0071]

[0072] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a magnet configuration 500 for generating a 2D magnetic field vector using four independent DL magnets 510A, 510B, 510C, and 510D (collectively referred to as 510) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In configuration 500, a 2D magnetic field vector may be generated at B max =4B 0 Any magnetic field is generated within the defined circle 515. The motor-driven magnet 510 can be at an angle θ X1 ,θ X2 ,θ Y1 and θ Y2 are rotated independently to generate a 2D vector at the center of configuration 500. The maximum magnetic field B in configuration 500 max Can be given as:

[0073]

[0074] In configuration 500, β 4 can be defined as follows:

[0075]

[0076] For generating a magnetic field vector B in the structure 500 T =B T The angle of magnet 510 ∠α can be found using the following equation:

[0077] θ X1 =θ X2 =α-β 4 (20)

[0078] θ Y1 =θ Y2 =α+β 4 (twenty one)

[0079] The maximum torque τ required in configuration 500 max can be given as:

[0080]

[0081] In principle, configuration 500 can be extended beyond four magnets to generate larger magnetic fields, since in the 2D case, the magnets (B max =NB 0 )N,B max However, these configurations require additional motor drivers.

[0082] Fig. 6A A schematic diagram of a magnet configuration 600 for generating a 3D magnetic field using three independent magnets 610A, 610B, and 610C (collectively referred to as 610) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The motor-driven magnet 610 can be at an angle θ 1 ,θ 2 , and θ 3 The magnets in configuration 600 are oriented orthogonally to each other. Therefore, the magnetic field vector distribution of configuration 600 is generated by the superposition of three vectors (B1, B2, and B3) of equal length lying on three orthogonal circular planes. The circular planes are Fig. 6A This configuration 600 results in a non-trivial anisotropic profile (see, for example, Figure 6B ).

[0083] Figure 6B The configuration 600 ( Fig. 6A ) generated by the contour 601. The black dots in the contour 601 mark a 2D slice of the magnetic field generated in the xz plane, with cusps characterized by the intersections between the contour surface and the major axis. One way to characterize the maximum magnetic field in configuration 600 can be to calculate all orientations The maximum available field And identify its minimum and maximum values:

[0084]

[0085]

[0086] Note that configuration 600 may produce amplitude fields only on certain axes. However, configuration 600 can generate an amplitude field in any direction The amplitude Corresponds to The cusp feature of the profile 601 .

[0087] To generate a magnetic field vector B in configuration 600 T =(B x ,B y ,B z ), we can solve the following equation:

[0088] cos(θ 1 )+sin(θ 2 )=B x / B max (25)

[0089] cos(θ 2 )+sin(θ 3 )=B y / B max (26)

[0090] cos(θ 3 )+sin(θ 1 )=B z / B max (27)

[0091] To calculate the torque for structure 600, magnet 610 can be considered to be finite in length. The torque generated depends on the L / R ratio. Assuming L / R = 2 in configuration 600, the maximum torque τ max It can be given by the following formula:

[0092]

[0093] Here, only the lower limit of the required torque is described, because τ max / τ 0 is a decreasing function of distance r that eventually saturates to a certain value in the point dipole (r>L), and estimates the numerical factor when r>>L.

[0094] Fig. 7A A schematic diagram of a magnet configuration 700 for generating a 3D magnetic field using three pairs of DL magnets according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The six magnets in the structure 700 include three pairs of magnets 710 (X1 and X2), 711 (Y1 and Y2), and 712 (Z1 and Z2). Each pair includes an independent magnet and a slave magnet. Each independent magnet from the pairs 710, 711, and 712 is a motor driven magnet that can be independently rotated to generate a 3D field at the center. For example, when the independent magnets are X1, Y1, and Z1, the motor 120 can be used to rotate at an angle θ X1 ,θ Y1 and θ Z1 Rotating Magnets. The orientation of magnets 710-712 can be constrained as follows:

[0095] θ X1 =-θ X2 =θ X (29)

[0096] θ Y1 =-θ Y2 =θ Y (30)

[0097] θ Z1 =-θ Z2 =θ Z (31)

[0098] Figure 7B 7 shows a magnetic field distribution 701 that can be generated by configuration 700 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Each pair of independent and slave magnets 710, 711, and 712 can be used to generate a 1D magnetic field on a Cartesian axis (B, x , B y and B z )(See Fig. 7A ). This results in the following The outline 701 is in the shape of a box, where and It can be as follows:

[0099]

[0100]

[0101] To generate a magnetic field vector B in configuration 700 T =(B x ,B y ,B z ), the orientations of magnet pairs 710, 711 and 712 are given by:

[0102]

[0103]

[0104]

[0105] To calculate the torque for structure 700, magnets 710, 711, and 712 can be considered to be finite in length. Assuming L / R = 2 in configuration 700, the required torque can be given by:

[0106]

[0107] As in configuration 600, τ max / τ 0 In configuration 700 there is a decreasing function of distance r which saturates to a value indicating a lower limit for the required torque.

[0108] Figure 8 A flow chart of a process 800 for generating a magnetic field vector according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The process 800 can generate a 1-, 2-, or 3-dimensional magnetic field vector using the magnet configurations discussed with respect to FIGS. 1-7B . Therefore, the process 800 is discussed with reference to these figures.

[0109] At operation 810, a magnetic field vector may be selected to be generated. The direction, magnitude, etc. of the magnetic field may be selected based on any appropriate criteria known to one of ordinary skill in the art. The selected magnetic field vector may be a 1D magnetic field (e.g., configuration 200), a 2D magnetic field (e.g., configuration 300, 400, or 500), or a 3D magnetic field (e.g., configuration 600 or 700) in a given direction.

[0110] A DL magnet system 105 can be selected for generating a magnetic field vector. This is shown at operation 820. Configurations such as those shown herein can be obtained for use with the DL system 105 based on the magnetic field vector to be generated. Configuration features selected at operation 820 can include the number of dipole magnets (e.g., 1–6 or more magnets), the type of rotation (e.g., all motor-driven magnets or motor-driven and freely rotating magnet pairs), and the position of the magnets relative to each other (e.g., parallel or perpendicular axes, Cartesian coordinates, etc.). For example, to generate a 2D magnetic field vector, configuration 300, 400, or 500 can be selected. At operation 820, additional features can also be selected, such as magnet length L and radius R, distance R between the magnet and the center of the field to be generated (e.g., point P or configuration center), independent magnets and slave magnet pairs (e.g., see Figure 2 )The size of the gap g between them, etc.

[0111] Then, we can generate a magnetic field vector (B T ) to adjust the configuration. This is shown at operation 830. The computer system 130 can use the above equations appropriately to select the equation for generating B in the selected configuration. T The magnet orientation (θ) and torque (τ max ). The computer system 130 may communicate with the motor 120 , the shaft / gearbox 115 , and the Hall sensor 140 to direct adjustments in the DL magnet system 105 at operations 830 and 840 .

[0112] The magnetic field B can be sensed for each motor or at a point of interest in the center T (e.g., by Hall sensor 140). This is shown at operation 840. It is then determined whether the position of the magnet is correct based on the detected magnetic field. This is shown at operation 850. If the position is incorrect, process 800 returns to operation 830, whereupon the magnet is readjusted (e.g., by rotating the magnet and / or adjusting the torque). The resulting field is sensed at operation 840, and operation 850 is repeated to determine whether the position is correct. Operations 830, 830-850 may be repeated until a magnetic field B is generated. T , as determined based on operations 840 and 850. When the position is correct (yes at 850), process 800 can end.

[0113] As described above, magnetic field vectors can be generated for various applications and can be used to achieve various magnetic field strengths (e.g., up to about 1 T or higher). In some embodiments, magnetic field vectors are generated to provide diamagnetic traps, magnetic fields for optical Hall effect measurements of electron and / or hole mobility in semiconductors. However, any suitable magnetic field vector application (e.g., MRI, MPI, vibrating sample magnetometry, magnetoresistance measurements, Faraday rotation measurements, magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements, ferromagnetic resonance measurements, etc.) can be performed in environment 100.

[0114] Fig. 9 A block diagram of a computer system 900 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The computer system 900 can be used to implement one or more of the methods, tools, components, and any related functions described herein (e.g., using one or more processor circuits of a computer or a computer processor). In some embodiments, the main components of the computer system 900 include one or more processors 902, a memory subsystem 904, a terminal interface 912, a storage interface 916, an input / output device interface 914, and a network interface 918, all of which can be directly or indirectly communicatively coupled to communicate between components via a memory bus 903, an input / output bus 908, a bus interface unit 907, and an input / output bus interface unit 910.

[0115] The computer system 900 includes one or more general-purpose programmable central processing units (CPUs) 902A, 902B, and 902-N, collectively referred to herein as CPUs 902. In some embodiments, the computer system 900 includes multiple processors typical of relatively large systems; however, in other embodiments, the computer system 900 may instead be a single CPU system. Each CPU 902 may execute instructions stored in a memory subsystem 904 and may include one or more levels of onboard cache.

[0116] Memory 904 may include random access semiconductor memory, storage devices, or storage media (volatile or non-volatile) for storing or encoding data and programs. In some embodiments, memory 904 represents the entire virtual memory of computer system 900, and may also include virtual memory of other computer systems coupled to computer system 900 or connected via a network. Memory 904 is conceptually a single monolithic entity, but in other embodiments, memory 904 is a more complex arrangement, such as a hierarchy of caches and other memory devices. For example, memory may exist in multiple levels of caches, and these caches may be further divided by function, so that one cache stores instructions and another cache stores non-instruction data used by one or more processors. Memory may also be distributed and associated with different CPUs or groups of CPUs, as known in any of a variety of so-called non-uniform memory access (NUMA) computer architectures.

[0117] Environment 100( Figure 1A ) can be included in the memory 904 in the computer system 900. However, in other embodiments, the components of the system 130 can be on different computer systems and can be remotely accessed, for example, via a network. The computer system 900 can use a virtual addressing mechanism that allows the programs of the computer system 900 to behave as if they only access a large single storage entity instead of accessing multiple smaller storage entities. Therefore, the components of the memory 904 do not have to be all completely contained in the same storage device at the same time. In addition, although these components are shown as separate entities, in other embodiments, some of these components, some of these components, or all of these components can be packaged together.

[0118] In an embodiment, the computer system 130 of the environment 100 includes instructions that are executed on the processor 902 or interpreted by instructions executed on the processor 902 to perform functions as further described in this disclosure. In another embodiment, instead of or in addition to a processor-based system, the system 130 is implemented in hardware through semiconductor devices, chips, logic gates, circuits, circuit cards, and / or other physical hardware devices. In another embodiment, the system 130 includes data other than instructions.

[0119] Although the memory bus 903 is Fig. 9903, but in some embodiments, the memory bus 903 may include multiple different buses or communication paths, which may be arranged in any of a variety of forms, such as hierarchical, point-to-point links in a star or mesh configuration, multiple hierarchical buses, parallel and redundant paths, or any other suitable type of configuration. In addition, although the input / output bus interface 910 and the input / output bus 908 are shown as a single corresponding unit, in some embodiments, the computer system 900 may include multiple input / output bus interface units 910, multiple input / output buses 908, or both. In addition, although multiple input / output interface units are shown that separate the input / output bus 908 from the individual communication paths extending to the individual input / output devices, in other embodiments, some or all of the input / output devices may be directly connected to one or more system input / output buses.

[0120] Computer system 900 may include bus interface unit 907 for communication between processor 902, memory 904, display system 906 and input / output bus interface unit 910. Input / output bus interface unit 910 may be coupled with input / output bus 908 for transmitting data to and from various input / output units. Input / output bus interface unit 910 communicates with multiple input / output interface units 912, 914, 916 and 918 via input / output bus 908, which are also referred to as input / output processors (IOPs) or input / output adapters (IOAs). Display system 906 may include display controller. Display controller may provide visual, audio or both types of data to display device 905. Display system 906 may be coupled with display device 905 such as independent display screen, computer monitor, television, or flat panel or handheld device display. In alternative embodiments, one or more of the functions provided by display system 906 may be on processor board 902 integrated circuit. Additionally, one or more of the functions provided by bus interface unit 907 may be on processor board 902 integrated circuit.

[0121] In some embodiments, the computer system 900 is a multi-user mainframe computer system, a single-user system, or a server computer or similar device with little or no direct user interface but receiving requests from other computer systems (clients). In addition, in some embodiments, the computer system 900 is implemented as a desktop computer, a portable computer, a laptop or notebook computer, a tablet computer, a pocket computer, a phone, a smart phone, a network switch or router, or any other suitable type of electronic device.

[0122] Notice, Fig. 9 The main components of the exemplary computer system 900 are intended to be depicted. However, in some embodiments, the various components may have more Fig. 9 The greater or lesser complexity represented in , may exist different from Fig. 9 Components may be those shown in or in addition to those shown in, and the number, type, and configuration of these components may vary.

[0123] The present invention may be a system, method and / or computer program product at any possible level of technical detail integration. The computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium (or multiple media) having computer-readable program instructions thereon, and the computer-readable program instructions are used to cause a processor to perform various aspects of the present invention.

[0124] A computer-readable storage medium may be a tangible device capable of retaining and storing instructions used by an instruction execution device. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of computer-readable storage media includes the following: a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanical encoding device such as a punch card or a raised structure in a groove on which instructions are recorded, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. As used herein, a computer-readable storage medium should not be interpreted as a temporary signal itself, such as a radio wave or other freely propagating electromagnetic wave, an electromagnetic wave propagated by a waveguide or other transmission medium (e.g., a light pulse by an optical fiber cable), or an electrical signal transmitted by a wire.

[0125] The computer-readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to a corresponding computing / processing device, or downloaded to an external computer or external storage device via a network, such as the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and / or a wireless network. The network can include copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmissions, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and / or edge servers. The network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives the computer-readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer-readable program instructions to be stored in a computer-readable storage medium within the corresponding computing / processing device.

[0126] The computer-readable program instructions for performing the operation of the present invention may be assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, configuration data of an integrated circuit, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages ​​(including object-oriented programming languages, such as Smalltalk, C++, etc.) and procedural programming languages ​​(such as "C" programming language or similar programming languages). The computer-readable program instructions may be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, executed as an independent software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or completely on a remote computer or server. In the latter case, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., using an Internet service provider via the Internet). In some embodiments, in order to perform various aspects of the present invention, an electronic circuit including, for example, a programmable logic circuit, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or a programmable logic array (PLA) may execute a computer-readable program instruction by utilizing the state information of the computer-readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuit.

[0127] Various aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to the flow chart and / or block diagram of the method, device (system) and computer program product according to embodiments of the present invention. It will be understood that each frame of the flow chart and / or block diagram and the combination of frames in the flow chart and / or block diagram can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

[0128] These computer-readable program instructions can be provided to a processor of a computer or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device create a device for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of the flowchart and / or block diagram. These computer-readable program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, which can guide the computer, programmable data processing device and / or other equipment to work in a specific manner, so that the computer-readable storage medium having the instructions stored therein includes an article of manufacture, which includes instructions for implementing various aspects of the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0129] Computer-readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device, so that a series of operational steps are performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0130] Flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings show the possible architecture, function and operation of the system, method and computer program product according to various embodiments of the present invention.In this regard, each frame in the flow chart or block diagram can represent a module, segment or part of an instruction, which includes one or more executable instructions for realizing the specified logical function.In some alternative embodiments, the function noted in the frame may not occur in the order noted in the figure.For example, two frames shown continuously can actually be implemented as a step, and are performed simultaneously, substantially simultaneously, in a partially or entirely time-overlapping manner, or these frames can sometimes be performed in reverse order, depending on the function involved.It will also be noted that the combination of the frames in each frame of the block diagram and / or flow chart illustration and the block diagram and / or flow chart illustration can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system that performs a specified function or action or performs a combination of special-purpose hardware and computer instructions.

[0131] The description of various embodiments of the present disclosure has been presented for illustrative purposes, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the described embodiments. The terms used herein are selected to best explain the principles of the embodiments, practical applications, or technical improvements existing in the market, or to enable other persons of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0132] Although the present disclosure has been described in terms of specific embodiments, it is contemplated that changes and modifications thereof will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore intended that the appended claims be interpreted as covering all such changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method comprising: Obtaining the configuration of a dipole line (DL) magnet; Select the magnetic field vector to be generated; as well as An orientation of the DL magnet for generating the magnetic field vector is determined based on the configuration. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration comprises a pairing of the DL magnets, the pairing comprising an independent DL magnet and a slave DL magnet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration comprises two parallel independent DL magnets.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration comprises three independent DL magnets that are orthogonal to each other. 5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration comprises three DL magnets positioned at vertices of a triangle. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a maximum torque for generating the magnetic field vector. 7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting the orientation of the DL magnet based on a magnetic field determined by a Hall sensor.

8. A system comprising: Memory; as well as a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute a method comprising: Obtaining the configuration of a dipole line (DL) magnet; selecting a magnetic field vector to be generated; and An orientation of the DL magnet for generating the magnetic field vector is determined based on the configuration.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the configuration comprises a pairing of the DL magnets, the pairing comprising an independent DL magnet and a slave DL magnet.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the configuration comprises two parallel independent DL magnets.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the configuration comprises three independent DL magnets that are orthogonal to each other.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the configuration comprises three DL magnets positioned at vertices of a triangle.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising determining a maximum torque for generating the magnetic field vector.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising adjusting the orientation of the DL magnet based on a magnetic field determined by a Hall sensor.

15. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions being executable by a processor to cause a device to perform a method comprising: Obtaining the configuration of a dipole line (DL) magnet; Select the magnetic field vector to be generated; as well as An orientation of the DL magnet for generating the magnetic field vector is determined based on the configuration.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the configuration comprises a pairing of the DL magnets, the pairing comprising an independent DL magnet and a slave DL magnet.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the configuration comprises two parallel independent DL magnets.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the configuration comprises three mutually orthogonal independent DL magnets.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the configuration comprises three DL magnets positioned at vertices of a triangle.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising adjusting the orientation of the DL magnet based on a magnetic field determined by a Hall sensor.

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