Twisted Magnet Arrays

Magnetic fields are important in our daily lives. It is easy to change the strength of a magnet by, for example, increasing the current source in an electromagnet. However, it is hard to change the pattern of magnetic fields since it requires modifying the source itself which would completely change the whole system. On the other hand, varying the pattern of magnetic fields may provide enhanced functions. In this research, we explore the idea of changing the pattern of magnetic fields in situ without changing the source of the field. We use the 3D printing technique to print a plate with holes forming a square lattice, and insert circular-shaped magnets into the holes to create an array of magnets. We then 3D print another plate that is an exact copy of the previous one with the same magnet array. Finally, we stack the two plates on top of each other. By changing the orientation of the two plates, we can vary the pattern of the magnetic fields. We use either small iron balls or magnetic field viewing paper to image and record the patterns of the magnetic fields at different twist angles. Results will be presented.