Scientists just overturned a century-old physics assumption
Physicists at Carnegie Mellon University have demonstrated that the Hall effect can occur when magnetic fields are applied in-plane, challenging a century-old assumption. This discovery opens new possibilities for developing advanced magnetic sensors and electronic devices.
Why it matters
Overturning a foundational physics principle enables the creation of more flexible and efficient technologies for medical imaging and transportation.
Carnegie Mellon University researchers have identified an unusual magnetic response that overturns a long-standing assumption about the Hall effect, a foundational principle used to study how materials behave electrically and magnetically.
The findings, published in Nature Materials , expand scientists' understanding of the Hall effect and could eventually support simpler and more flexible magnetic sensors for electronics, transportation and medical imaging.
Scientists have relied on the Hall effect for more than a century. In 1879, Edwin Hall discovered that when a magnetic field is applied perpendicular to a material carrying an electric current, the moving charges are pushed to one side. This creates a voltage that researchers can measure.
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