Multiferroic magnetoelectric (ME) composites are attractive materials for various electrically and magnetically cross-coupled devices. Many studies have been conducted on fundamental understanding, fabrication processes, and applications of ME composite material systems in the last four decades which has brought the technology closer to realization in practical devices. In this article, we present a review of ME composite materials and some notable potential applications based upon their properties. A brief summary is presented on the parameters that influence the performance of ME composites, their coupling structures, fabrications processes, characterization techniques, and perspectives on direct (magnetic to electric) and converse (electric to magnetic) ME devices. Overall, the research on ME composite systems has brought us closer to their deployment.

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Status and Perspectives of Multiferroic Magnetoelectric Composite Materials and Applications

Over the past two decades, magnetoelectric (ME) composites and their devices have been an important topic of research. Potential applications ranging from low power sensing to high power converters have been investigated. This review, first, begins with a summary of multiferroic materials that work at room temperature. Such ME materials are usually in composites, and their ME effect generated as a product property of magnetostrictive and piezoelectric composite layers. After that, mechanisms, working principles, and applications of ME composites from heterostructural uncooled magnetic sensors, energy harvesters to highly efficient power converters will be discussed. First, the development of ME sensors in terms of materials and structures to enhance their sensitivities and to reduce noise level is reviewed and discussed. Second, the structure of ME-based energy harvesters is discussed and summarized. Third, the development ME gyrators is summarized for power applications, including the current/voltage conversion, power efficiency, power density and figures of merit. Results demonstrate that our ME gyrator has the ability to satisfy the needs of power conversion with superior efficiency (>90%), offering potential uses in power electronic applications.

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A review on applications of magnetoelectric composites: from heterostructural uncooled magnetic sensors, energy harvesters to highly efficient power converters

Giant heterogeneous magnetostriction in Fe–Ga alloys: Effect of trace element doping

Abstract Self-biased magnetoelectric (ME) composites, defined as materials that enable large ME coupling under external AC magnetic field in the absence of DC magnetic field, are an interesting, challenging and practical field of research. In comparison to the conventional ME composites, eliminating the need of DC magnetic bias provides great potential towards device miniaturization and development of components for electronics and medical applications. In this review, the current state-of-the-art of the different self-biased structures, their working mechanisms, as well as their main characteristics are summarized. Further, the nature and requirement of the self-biased magnetoelectric response is discussed with respect to the specific applications. Lastly, the remaining challenges as well as future perspective of this research field are discussed.

Self-Biased Magnetoelectric Composites: An Overview and Future Perspectives

Co-fired magnetostrictive/piezoelectric/magnetostrictive laminate structure with silver inner electrode was synthesized and characterized. We demonstrate integration of textured piezoelectric microstructure with the cost-effective low-temperature co-fired layered structure to achieve strong magnetoelectric coupling. Using the co-fired composite, a strategy was developed based upon the hysteretic response of nickel-copper-zinc ferrite magnetostrictive materials to achieve peak magnetoelectric response at zero DC bias, referred as self-biased magnetoelectric response. Fundamental understanding of self-bias phenomenon in composites with single phase magnetic material was investigated by quantifying the magnetization and piezomagnetic changes with applied DC field. We delineate the contribution arising from the interfacial strain and inherent magnetic hysteretic behavior of copper modified nickel-zinc ferrite towards self-bias response.

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Giant self-biased magnetoelectric coupling in co-fired textured layered composites

We present the effects of terbium additives upon the microstructure and magnetic properties of Fe83Ga17Tbx alloys (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8), prepared by vacuum electric arc-melting and directional solidification techniques. Experiments indicate that small amounts of terbium more than double the saturation magnetostriction of a [110] textured Fe83Ga17 alloy with λ = 72 × 10−6 and lower the magnetostriction saturation field. The pronounced increase in magnetostriction stems from the appearance of [100] texture in polycrystalline alloys. It is verified that [110] and [100] textures are enhanced by the introduction of terbium atoms preferentially residing in a Tb-rich intergranular phase.

Giant enhancement in the magnetostrictive effect of FeGa alloys doped with low levels of terbium

A miniature, quasi one dimensional, magnetic field sensor based on magnetoelectric coupling is presented. The magnetoelectric sensor makes use of the d31 coupling mode between a piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate tube and FeNi magnetostrictive wire. The sensors demonstrate high sensitivity, high signal-to-noise ratio, and low noise floor at zero DC magnetic bias field and at low frequency resulting in smaller, lower power consumption, and volumetric efficiency. Experiments indicate a zero bias field sensitivity of 16.5 mV/Oe at 100 Hz stemming from a magnetoelectric coefficient of 1.65 V/cm-Oe. The results are quantitatively described by a theoretical model of laminate composites.

Quasi-one-dimensional miniature multiferroic magnetic field sensor with high sensitivity at zero bias field

Three quasi-one-dimensional magnetoelectric (ME) magnetic field sensors, each with a different magnetostrictive wire material, were investigated in terms of sensitivity and noise floor. Magnetostrictive Galfenol, iron-cobalt-vanadium, and iron-nickel wires were examined. Sensitivity profiles, hysteresis effects, and noise floor measurements for both optimally biased and zero-biased conditions are presented. The FeNi wire (FN) exhibits high sensitivity (5.36 mV/Oe) at bias fields below 22 Oe and an optimal bias of 10 Oe, whereas FeGa wire (FG) exhibits higher sensitivity (6.89 mW/Oe) at bias fields >22 Oe. The sensor of FeCoV wire (FC) presents relatively low sensitivity (2.12 mV/Oe), due to low magnetostrictive coefficient. Each ME tube-topology sensor demonstrates relatively high sensitivity at zero bias field, which results from a magnetic shape anisotropy and internal strain of the thin magnetostrictive wire.

Effects of intrinsic magnetostriction on tube-topology magnetoelectric sensors with high magnetic field sensitivity

The invention relates to an iron-based magnetostrictive alloy wire and a production method thereof The molecular formula of the alloy is Fe1-x-yMxNyREz, M is one or more of Ga, In, Cr, Ni and Co, N is one or more of Al, Mn, V, Nb, Ti and Zr, RE is one or more of La, Ce, Pr, Nb, Tb, Dy, Y and Sc, wherein x is equal to 15 percent to 60 percent, y is equal to 0 percent to 10 percent, z is equal to 0 to 10, and the rest is Fe The technical point is as follows: according to the alloy composition requirement, an ingot casting is smelted, hammer cogging is carried out, and after a wire rod with the diameter of 8mm is rolled, the wire rod is cold-drawn into the alloy wire The size of the alloy wire produced by the method can be adjusted within a wide range, consequently, a sensor can be conveniently designed, and the magnetostrictive material can be used in more fields The magnetostriction coefficient of the iron-based magnetostrictive material can reach 367ppm under a 4000Oe applied magnetic field

production method of iron-based magnetostrictive alloy wire

A preparation technology of a high-performance quick-quenching Fe-Ga based magnetostriction thin strip material is disclosed. The material compositions comprise: Fe100-x-yGaxMy, M represents one or more of Tb, Dy, La, Ce, Y, Al and Mn, wherein x=5-25, y=0.05-15, and the thickness of the thin material is 50 [mu]m-150 [mu]m. According to the preparation technology, melt-spinning and quick-quenching are carried out by employing a vacuum copper roller quick-quenching furnace, and heat treatment is carried out. The advantages are that: the developed Fe-Ga based magnetostriction thin strip material possesses excellent magnetostriction performance, better intensity and corrosion resistance, which can be used in severe environment; the thin strip produced by using the preparation technology is good in flatness and linearity, when the applied magnetic field is perpendicular to the thin strip surface, the thin strip possesses extremely high magnetostriction performance along the thin strip surface direction, and the magnetostriction coefficient reaches -1500*10 ; and the thin strip material is simple in preparation technology and high in strip-forming rate, and is beneficial to popularization and application.

Hongbo Hao

Papers

Giant enhancement in the magnetostrictive effect of FeGa alloys doped with low levels of terbium

Quasi-one-dimensional miniature multiferroic magnetic field sensor with high sensitivity at zero bias field

Effects of intrinsic magnetostriction on tube-topology magnetoelectric sensors with high magnetic field sensitivity

production method of iron-based magnetostrictive alloy wire

High-performance quick-quenching Fe-Ga based magnetostriction thin strip material and preparation technology thereof