Cryogenic magnetostrictive transducers and devices for commercial, military, and space applications

Abstract

The unique attributes of magnetostrictive materials have been used to develop a wide variety of electromechanical transducers and devices. Most of these applications have been at or above room temperature. However, many applications at cryogenic temperatures also require high authority, high precision, efficient actuation. Other technologies, including all piezoelectric systems, tend to be inoperable or impractical and unreliable at cryogenic temperatures. Magnetostrictive materials have already demonstrated improved performance at low temperature down to near absolute zero with strains as high as 1% possible. These unique material attributes combine with novel magnetic field generation, transducer and mechanism concepts to meet the challenges of resolution, size, weight, power, thermal and reliability requirements of actuators for many cryogenic applications. Positioning and shaping optics in space, cryogen valving and pumping, heat switches, industrial processing, and active vibration control are just some examples of the many commercial, military and space applications where cryogenic magnetostrictive technologies are overcoming barriers to provide solutions.