This project aims to breaking decades of stagnation in magnet design by establishing a physicsguided magnets design (pmag) to discover and synthesize a new class of rare-earth (RE)- containing…

The Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded the University of Virginia a $3.158 million cooperative agreement on July 30, 2026, under the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy program (CFDA 81.135) to establish a physics-guided magnets design (PMAG) framework for discovering and synthesizing rare-earth-containing permanent magnets.

The work integrates machine-learning-assisted structure generation and property prediction with rapid, closed-loop experimental synthesis and characterization to deliver high-throughput, accurate rare-earth magnetism modeling coupled with physics-guided design principles. The project aims to discover compounds that meet targeted flux density, maximum energy product, Curie temperature, and manufacturability objectives. Performance occurs in Charlottesville, Virginia, with a period of performance from July 30, 2026, through July 29, 2029.

This project aims to breaking decades of stagnation in magnet design by establishing a physicsguided magnets design (pmag) to discover and synthesize a new class of rare-earth (RE)- containing permanent magnets. Our approach delivers the missing capability: high-throughput, accurate RE magnetism modeling, coupled with physics-guided design principles. We integrate ML-assisted structure generation and property prediction with rapid, closed-loop experimental synthesis and characterization. This framework directly advances magnito objectives by enabling discovery of compounds that meet targeted flux density, maximum energy product, curie temperature, and manufacturability.