Levitated macroscopic rotors with 10 hours of free spin at room temperature

Low-dissipation rotors with large angular momentum are essential for precision sensing and probing macroscopic quantum phenomena. To date, low dissipation can only be achieved for micro-scale rotors. Here, we report a diamagnetically levitated millimeter-scale rotor exhibiting a measured dissipation rate as low as 3.85 μHz at room temperature, corresponding to a free spinning duration exceeding 10 hours. The rotor is levitated stably over an axisymmetric permanent magnet trap, and can be driven up to 930 RPM using contactless electrostatic actuation in high vacuum. Leveraging its low damping rate and large angular momentum, we realize a precision gyroscope with a measured sensitivity of 6.5 × 10−3 °/s and an estimated thermal-limited stability of $$5.7 \, \times \, 1{0}^{-7 \, {^{\circ}}} /\sqrt{{\rm{h}}}$$. These results establish diamagnetic levitation as a promising room-temperature platform for high-performance sensors. This study demonstrates a millimeter-scale diamagnetically levitated rotor that spins freely for over 10 hours at room temperature, offering a low-dissipation platform for precision sensing and future tests of macroscopic physics.