An improved discrete configuration of a cylinder magnet for portable nuclear magnetic resonance instruments

The continuous magnetization profile approximated by a discrete source is the main reason for the deteriorating magnetic field homogeneity in Halbach magnet. It is identified by comparing the two-dimensional (2D) field solutions of an ideal cylinder magnet with those of a cylinder magnet constructed from several segment magnets. To improve the magnetic field homogeneity, a cylinder magnet from several crescent-shaped magnets is therefore presented. The programed 2D field solutions of the magnet from the crescent-shaped segments verify that the configuration effectively improves the homogeneity inside the cylinder magnet compared to that of a magnet built from simpler segments. For a small magnet with a required field uniformity and magnitude, the configuration has more advantages than a configuration from typical segments. Hence, the magnet is more appropriate for a portable nuclear magnetic resonance instruments.