Overview

• Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology researchers report a pure-graphite rotor that eliminates eddy losses through axial symmetry, enabling near-frictionless rotation.
• Analytical proofs, simulations, and bench experiments confirm that constant magnetic flux during spin prevents eddy-current formation.
• The design uses a one-centimeter graphite disk over rare-earth magnets, retaining strong levitation compared with an earlier silica–wax composite that weakened lift.
• Practical performance now depends on machining to achieve ideal symmetry and on suppressing air drag by operating in deeper vacuum.
• Potential uses cited by the team include milli-scale precision sensors and robust gyroscopes, with prospects for cooling into the quantum regime and interest in space-based tests; the work appears in Communications Physics (2025), DOI: 10.1038/s42005-025-02318-4.