A stator defines multiple stator poles with associated electrical windings. A rotor includes multiple rotor poles. The rotor is movable with respect to the stator and defines, together with the stator, a nominal gap between the stator poles and the rotor poles. The rotor poles includes a magnetically permeable pole material. The rotor also includes a series of frequency programmable flux channels (FPFCs). Each FPFC includes a conductive loop surrounding an associated rotor pole. The stator and the rotor are arranged such that the electrical windings in the stator induce an excitement current within at least one of the FPFCs during start-up.