Optimization of high uniform magnetic field composite coils with Young’s double-slit experiment algorithm

Abstract

Uniform magnetic fields play a crucial role in fields such as quantum precision measurement and magnetic navigation. The Helmholtz coil has emerged as a common choice in experimental research due to its effective magnetic field characteristics. However, conventional coil systems struggle to meet the demands of generating highly uniform magnetic fields under various application scenarios. To address this issue, this paper proposes an improved Helmholtz coil design that employs a pair of auxiliary coils to mitigate the rapid decrease in magnetic field strength at the edge regions in conventional systems, thereby expanding the effective region of uniform magnetic field. Furthermore, a mathematical model of the proposed composite coil system is established, and a novel intelligent optimization algorithm—based on the Young’s double-slit experiment (YDSE)—is employed to optimize key structural parameters of the coils. This algorithm exhibits a favorable convergence rate and a strong ability to escape local optima, making it particularly suitable for multi-parameter, nonlinear magnetic field optimization problems. In the optimized four-coil system, the effective coverage area of the uniform magnetic field reached 66.4259%, representing an approximate 24% improvement over the Maclaurin expansion method and exceeding the traditional Helmholtz coil configuration by more than sixfold. Subsequently, the results are validated through finite element simulations. The findings suggest that the improved four-coil structure markedly enhances the effective coverage of a uniform magnetic field compared to traditional methods, offering valuable insights for applications in low-field magnetic measurements such as quantum sensor design and geomagnetic navigation.