The increasing demand for power in sectors like artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and data centers has prompted researchers to seek innovative solutions to enhance energy efficiency. A collaborative research team from the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tohoku University, and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) has made a significant breakthrough in soft magnetic materials, which are essential for improving the efficiency of power electronics.
This research focuses on addressing the growing energy losses in soft magnetic materials, a challenge that has intensified as power electronics operate at higher frequencies. These materials are crucial components in devices such as transformers and inductors, which are integral to converting and supplying electricity.
To tackle this efficiency issue, the team developed a new technique that manipulates the nanostructures and magnetic domain structures of iron-based soft amorphous ribbons. Their results indicate that this innovative approach can achieve more than a 50% reduction in core loss compared to traditional amorphous materials. This remarkable reduction enhances performance, particularly at high frequencies of several tens of kilohertz, making the material suitable for next-generation transformers and electric vehicle (EV) drive power supply circuits.
Advancing Energy Efficiency and Carbon Neutrality
The implications of this breakthrough extend beyond immediate efficiency improvements. The research is expected to facilitate the development of more energy-efficient electric machines, contributing to broader goals of carbon neutrality. As industries increasingly focus on reducing their carbon footprints, such advancements in material science are becoming essential.
Looking to the future, the research team plans to fabricate prototype devices, including transformers, using the newly developed material. They aim to test its integration into actual power conversion circuits, further validating its applicability in real-world scenarios.
The findings of this important study were published in Nature Communications on September 3, 2025, under the title “Ultra-Low Core Loss in Fe-enriched Soft Magnetic Ribbons Enabled by Nanostructure and High-Frequency Domain Engineering.” The study was co-authored by Ravi Gautam, Shozo Hiramoto, Nikita Kulesh, Hiroaki Mamiya, Satoshi Okamoto, Nobuhisa Ono, Takeshi Ogasawara, Tadakatsu Ohkubo, and Hossein Sepehri-Amin, and can be accessed via DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-63139-1.
This advancement in soft magnetic materials marks a critical step forward in the quest for energy-efficient technologies, paving the way for innovations that can significantly reduce energy consumption in various applications.
