Argonne National Laboratory. T A magnet is a metallic object capable of attracting iron and certain other metals and alloys. Around every magnet there is a region in which the force of the magnet exists. The region is called the magnetic field. The strongest lab magnets are permanent, superconducting, and pulsed magnets.
Permanent magnets retain their magnetism for a long time.
T. A pulse magnet provides very high magnetic field as high as 72 T. Permanent magnets are used in compasses and small electric motors. Superconducting magnets are very useful because they sustain the magnetic field for a longer time period and can achieve a uniform magnetic field. In the future, superconducting magnets may be used for nuclear fusion power generators, traffic systems, and medical apparatus. Pulsed magnets provide brief, but extreme magnetic fields. Their average life expectancy is between 500 and 800 pulses.