industry news
Subscribe Now

Paragraf Partners with CERN to Demonstrate Unique Properties of Paragraf’s New Graphene Hall Effect Sensor

Paragraf has embarked on a working partnership with the Magnetic Measurement section at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, to demonstrate how new opportunities for magnetic measurements are opened up through the unique properties of its graphene sensor, particularly its negligible planar Hall effect.
CERN operates the largest particle accelerators in the world, for example its 27-km long, Large Hadron Collider (LHC) which straddles the border between Switzerland and France near Geneva. Physicists look at how our world is built at the fundamental level by colliding sub-atomic particles in particle accelerators that rely on large numbers of normal and superconducting magnets to steer and focus the particle beam to their collision points.

The Magnetic Measurements section at CERN is in charge of testing magnets for these accelerators using the latest-available techniques and instruments. High precision and reliable measurements are performed for many of CERN’s ongoing projects, and therefore the team is always on the lookout for new sensors and transducers for improving their measurement methods and accuracy.

Simon Thomas, CEO at Paragraf commented: “This collaboration with CERN demonstrates the potential of graphene-based Hall effect sensors to improve accuracy in magnetic measurement applications. Our Hall effect sensors address key challenges CERN is facing in mapping magnetic fields, namely: highly accurate measurements of local field distributions in accelerator magnets, while eliminating artefacts and reducing uncertainties stemming from the sensors.”

Existing Hall effect sensors all exhibit planar Hall effects where field components which are not perpendicular to the sensing plane produce false signals. This is because the sensing layer is effectively three-dimensional, with some amount of depth. These false signals, together with the non-linear response to the field strength, increase the measurement uncertainty and thus limit the application of Hall sensors. Separating the true signals from the systematic errors is a complex and time-consuming process.

Why CERN Chose Paragraf’s Hall effect Sensor

The Hall effect sensor from Paragraf solves these problems because the active sensing component is made of atomically thin graphene, which is therefore two-dimensional, and hence truly only senses magnetic fields along one direction; giving a negligible planar Hall effect. This enables the true perpendicular magnetic field value to be obtained, allowing for higher precision mapping of the local magnetic field.

“Using Hall effect sensors without planar effect would open the door to a new mapping technique by mounting a stack of sensors on a rotating shaft. The compelling advantage would be measurements of the harmonic content in accelerator magnets almost point-like along the magnet axis”, commented Stephan Russenschuck, head of the magnetic measurement section at CERN.

One of the other key properties of Paragraf’s Hall effect sensor is its wide temperature range from +80°C down to cryogenic temperatures of 1.5 Kelvin. For CERN, this means that fields inside the superconducting magnets could be measured with high accuracy, using sensors operating in liquid helium temperature ranges (below -269 °C, 4 Kelvin, -452 °F) where the calibration of sensors is less than trivial.

What’s Next

CERN’s Magnetic Measurement section is looking to perform more in-depth tests on the Hall effect sensors, with the eventual aim of using them to build a novel mapping system for magnetic fields.

Paragraf and CERN will also be releasing a joint white paper communicating the work to date in more detail and showcasing the lack of planar Hall effect in Paragraf’s sensors, as well as detailing its high performance across a range of magnetic fields.
Paragraf’s graphene Hall effect sensors are available to lead partners in small volumes. To discuss specific requirements, contact hallsensors@paragraf.com.

Leave a Reply

featured blogs
Mar 21, 2023
Let's catch you up on what's been going on here at Cadence Fidelity CFD. Events You can find these at any time by going to the Events page on cadence.com and selecting CFD from the Technology menu. NVIDIA GTC, 20-23 Mar Join us virtually at the NVIDIA GTC Developers...
Mar 21, 2023
We explain computational lithography and explore how our partnership with NVIDIA accelerates semiconductor scaling and the chip design flow in the AI age. The post How Synopsys and NVIDIA Are Accelerating Semiconductor Scaling in the AI Age appeared first on New Horizons for...
Mar 10, 2023
A proven guide to enable project managers to successfully take over ongoing projects and get the work done!...

featured video

Level Up Your Knowledge!

Sponsored by Mouser Electronics

Feeling behind in the game? Mouser's newsletter and technical resource subscriptions will ensure that your skills are next level! Set your preferences and customize your subscription to power up your knowledge today!

Click here for more information

featured chalk talk

Solving Design Challenges Using TI's Code Free Sensorless BLDC Motor Drivers
Designing systems with Brushless DC motors can present us with a variety of difficult design challenges including motor deceleration, reliable motor startup and hardware complexity. In this episode of Chalk Talk, Vishnu Balaraj from Texas Instruments and Amelia Dalton investigate two new solutions for BLDC motor design that are code free, sensorless and easy to use. They review the features of the MCF8316A and MCT8316A motor drivers and examine how each of these solutions can make your next BLDC design easier than ever before.
Oct 19, 2022
19,933 views