Core Insights - Scientists at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology have developed a nearly frictionless, freely suspended rotating graphite rotor, addressing the long-standing issue of "eddy current damping" in macroscopic levitation systems [1][2] - This innovation opens new avenues for high-precision measurements and quantum research by allowing experimental subjects to be isolated from external disturbances [1] Group 1: Technical Achievements - The new design eliminates eddy current damping under ideal conditions, enabling the rotor to operate in a contactless, freely suspended state, which significantly enhances measurement accuracy [2] - The rotor, made from a graphite disk approximately 1 centimeter in diameter and rare-earth magnets, demonstrates that perfect axial symmetry can completely eliminate eddy current damping [1] Group 2: Applications and Future Potential - The improved freely suspended rotor is expected to become a core component in high-precision sensors at millimeter and micron scales, applicable in high-sensitivity gyroscopes [2] - It has the potential to enter quantum states at low temperatures, facilitating the exploration of vacuum gravitational effects and other macroscopic quantum phenomena [2]

日本冲绳科学技术大学院大学科学家成功研制出一种近乎零摩擦的可自由悬浮旋转的石墨转子。这一成 果解决了长期困扰宏观悬浮系统的"涡流阻尼"问题，为高精度测量和量子研究开辟了新途径。相关论文 发表于新一期《通讯·物理》杂志。 最新设计在理想条件下彻底消除了涡流阻尼。团队表示，改进后的自由悬浮转子有望成为毫米级乃至微 米级高精度传感器核心部件，可用于高灵敏度陀螺仪，也可在低温下进入量子态，用于探索真空引力效 应等宏观量子现象。 （文章来源：科技日报） 与依赖复杂光学或电学系统的微尺度装置不同，宏观系统可在常温下实现磁悬浮，结构更简单、环境适 应性更强。然而，这类系统长期受涡流阻尼限制。导体在非均匀磁场中运动时会产生环状电流，形成抵 抗运动的磁场，类似"磁性摩擦"，导致能量损耗和信号干扰。 此次，团队利用直径约1厘米的石墨圆盘和稀土磁体，设计出抗磁悬浮转子。通过实验和数学分析证 明，只要系统具备完美轴对称性，就能完全消除涡流阻尼。如果能进一步减缓旋转速度，转子运动将进 入量子态，为宏观量子研究提供新平台。 人们看到物体飘浮在空中会惊叹不已，而科学家则将这种"失重"状态视为隔绝外界干扰的一种理想方 式。对科学家而言，悬浮 ...