Abstract
The magnetic flux gate sensors based on Faraday’s Law of Induction are widely used for DC or extremely low frequency magnetic field detection. Recently, as the fast development of multiferroics and magnetoelectric (ME) composite materials, a new technology based on ME coupling effect is emerging for potential devices application. Here, we report a magnetoelectric flux gate sensor (MEFGS) for weak DC magnetic field detection for the first time, which works on a similar magnetic flux gate principle, but based on ME coupling effect. The proposed MEFGS has a shuttle-shaped configuration made of amorphous FeBSi alloy (Metglas) serving as both magnetic and magnetostrictive cores for producing a closed-loop high-frequency magnetic flux and also a longitudinal vibration, and one pair of embedded piezoelectric PMN-PT fibers ([011]-oriented Pb(Mg,Nb)O3-PbTiO3 single crystal) serving as ME flux gate in a differential mode for detecting magnetic anomaly. In this way, the relative change in output signal of the MEFGS under an applied DC magnetic anomaly of 1 nT was greatly enhanced by a factor of 4 to 5 in comparison with the previous reports. The proposed ME flux gate shows a great potential for magnetic anomaly detections, such as magnetic navigation, magnetic based medical diagnosis, etc.
Highlights
Multiferroic magnetoelctric (ME) materials have been attracting considerable interest due to the potential application, in terms of magnetic field sensors, microelectromechanical system, tunable microwave devices, tunable bandpass/bandstop filters, tunable phase shifters and spintronics, etc, since the last two decades[1,2,3,4,5,6]
Magnetic sensors based on flux gate principle, superconducting quantum interference effect (SQUIDs), tunneling magnetoresistance(TMR), anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR), giant magnetoresistance (GMR), giant magnetoimpedance (GMI), and nonlinear magnetoelectric effect have intrigued dramatic research interests[26,27,28,29,30]
We will see the relative change in output signal of the magnetoelectric flux gate sensor (MEFGS) under an applied direct current (DC) magnetic anomaly of 1 nT was greatly enhanced by a factor of 4 to 5 in comparison with the previous reports
Summary
Multiferroic magnetoelctric (ME) materials have been attracting considerable interest due to the potential application, in terms of magnetic field sensors, microelectromechanical system, tunable microwave devices, tunable bandpass/bandstop filters, tunable phase shifters and spintronics, etc, since the last two decades[1,2,3,4,5,6]. In spite of the significant advances, it is always and will remain an open challenge in sensing weak DC and extremely low frequency AC (ranging from 10 mHz to 10 Hz) magnetic fields due to the large 1/f noise[22,23,24,25]. In this respect, magnetic sensors based on flux gate principle, superconducting quantum interference effect (SQUIDs), tunneling magnetoresistance(TMR), anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR), giant magnetoresistance (GMR), giant magnetoimpedance (GMI), and nonlinear magnetoelectric effect have intrigued dramatic research interests[26,27,28,29,30]. We will see the relative change in output signal of the MEFGS under an applied DC magnetic anomaly of 1 nT was greatly enhanced by a factor of 4 to 5 in comparison with the previous reports
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