Enhanced self-biased magnetoelectric response in novel distributed disc structure Ni/PZT composite

Abstract

This article proposes a novel magnetoelectric (ME) composite configuration referred to as the Distributed Disc Structured (DDS) configuration. Ni/PZT ME composites have been fabricated using the press-fit technique, wherein the number of PZT discs have been sequentially increased to prepare 2-disc, 4-disc and 6-disc DDS configurations. The increase in the number of disc leads to an increase as well as a more uniform distribution of the inherent compressive prestress in the magnetostrictive phase which in turn leads to a significant enhancement in the self-biased and the overall ME behavior of the composite. A remarkable enhancement in the quasi-static and resonant ME voltage output is obtained from the proposed DDS configurations as compared to the conventional disc/ring configuration. Magnetostriction measurements have been conducted to validate the effect of the compressive prestress on the improvement in the ME response.