A loss-less transformer could be the result of research in the Barcelona Xerox Laboratory. Researchers have prepared a new nanocomposite material, composed of 5-10 nm crystals of iron oxide dispersed in a polymer matrix. Usually this solid displays magnetic behaviour just like any other nanoscopic magnetic material. However, by subjecting the material to a special annealing process using alternating magnetic fields, its magnetic characteristics are changed significantly.
Testing the magnetization of the sample with varying magnetic field and temperature revealed that the magnetic nanoparticles inside the polymer matrix can rotate completely freely in response to an applied magnetic field - with no friction, no hysteresis and almost no magnetic or electrical losses. This lightweight, insulating material is also expected to have novel acoustic thermal and optical properties. AIP