High Magnetoelectric Research Articles

A tunable self-bias effect in rubbery magnetoelectric materials

Magnetoelectric (ME) composites have recently received extensive attention due to their much higher ME coefficients and relatively high operating temperatures compared to single-phase ME materials. However, the ME coefficients of ME composites depend on the external magnetic field, and high ME coefficients usually require the presence of a biased external DC magnetic field. In this work, we propose a hybrid magnetoactive elastomer, which is a rubber matrix embedded with both soft iron particles and hard NdFeB particles. It is found that such a hybrid MAE shows a nonzero piezomagnetic coefficient even as the applied magnetic field approaches zero. Based on this phenomenon, we further propose a soft ME material with a self-bias effect and experimentally demonstrate that the self-bias effect can be tailored by changing the residual magnetization of the hybrid MAE and the charge density of the electret layer. This work successfully demonstrates a new mechanism of the self-bias effect for magnetoelectric materials and introduces a new member to the family of ME materials.

Reducing equivalent magnetic noise by electrode design and magnetic annealing in Quartz/Metglas magnetoelectric sensors

Magnetoelectric (ME) composites are promising for the development of high-performance magnetometers due to their high sensitivity, low cost, low power consumption, and small size. Enhancing the ME coefficient while reducing the background noise is an effective method to improve the performance of ME sensors, which remains challenging. In this work, we propose a method to reduce the equivalent magnetic noise by optimizing the electrode design and the magnetic annealing process in magnetoelectric quartz/Metglas composites. Compared with the non-optimized ME composites, the ME coefficient increases by 1.38 times while the background noise decreases by about 0.78 times, resulting in a LoD of 10 fT at resonance. Due to the high ME coefficient and low background noise, the equivalent magnetic noise from 20 kHz to 50 kHz was less than 6.10 pT/Hz1/2. The results show that proper annealing treatment of Metglas is beneficial for improving the soft magnetic properties. Meanwhile, the hollow electrode of quartz can reduce the equivalent capacitance and enhance the quality factor of the piezoelectric layer. This work demonstrates a feasible way to enhance the performance of ME magnetic field sensors.

Magnetoelectric effect in a Metglas–langatate ring heterostructure for current sensing

The magnetoelectric (ME) effect was observed and investigated in a planar ring-type heterostructure containing mechanically coupled rings of magnetostrictive amorphous alloy Metglas and a piezoelectric single crystal langatate. The structure was excited by a circumferential ac magnetic field in the presence of a circumferential dc bias magnetic field. Due to the absence of demagnetization and the high acoustic quality factor of the langatate, a high ME field conversion coefficient of α E ≈ 53 V (Oe cm)−1 was obtained at the frequency 221 kHz of the fundamental radial acoustic resonance mode. The structure can be used as a non-contact ac or dc current sensor. The sensitivity of the structure to the ac current was 1.6 V A−1, whereas for the dc current it reached 4.2 V A−1.

The Study of Core–Shell Cobalt Ferrite–Barium Titanate Magnetoelectric Nanoparticles in Targeting and Optimized Drug Delivery: An Overview

This review provides a comprehensive understanding of magnetoelectric (ME) nanocomposite, cobalt ferrite–barium titanate (CFO–BTO) as a potential candidate for targeting specific cells. The synthesized core–shell material uses strain-mediated coupling between magnetostrictive and piezoelectric material. CFO–BTO has the competitive advantage of a high ME coefficient and is biocompatible. The shape and size play a pivotal role in passive drug delivery due to the enhanced permeability and retention effect at tumor sites. Surfactants can also enhance drug absorption and influence the interaction with nanoparticle composite. A comparison between external magnetic field–frequency parameters to navigate the ME nanoparticle and trigger release of the drug at site is also reviewed. Coating the nanoparticles with a layer of surfactant can reduce the threshold external magnetic field for navigation and triggering of drug particle release, making the prospect viable for clinical studies.

Multiphysics simulation of magnetoelectric micro core-shells for wireless cellular stimulation therapy via magnetic temporal interference.

This paper presents an innovative approach to wireless cellular stimulation therapy through the design of a magnetoelectric (ME) microdevice. Traditional electrophysiological stimulation techniques for neural and deep brain stimulation face limitations due to their reliance on electronics, electrode arrays, or the complexity of magnetic induction. In contrast, the proposed ME microdevice offers a self-contained, controllable, battery-free, and electronics-free alternative, holding promise for targeted precise stimulation of biological cells and tissues. The designed microdevice integrates core shell ME materials with remote coils which applies magnetic temporal interference (MTI) signals, leading to the generation of a bipolar local electric stimulation current operating at low frequencies which is suitable for precise stimulation. The nonlinear property of the magnetostrictive core enables the demodulation of remotely applied high-frequency electromagnetic fields, resulting in a localized, tunable, and manipulatable electric potential on the piezoelectric shell surface. This potential, triggers electrical spikes in neural cells, facilitating stimulation. Rigorous computational simulations support this concept, highlighting a significantly high ME coupling factor generation of 550 V/m·Oe. The high ME coupling is primarily attributed to the operation of the device in its mechanical resonance modes. This achievement is the result of a carefully designed core shell structure operating at the MTI resonance frequencies, coupled with an optimal magnetic bias, and predetermined piezo shell thickness. These findings underscore the potential of the engineered ME core shell as a candidate for wireless and minimally invasive cellular stimulation therapy, characterized by high resolution and precision. These results open new avenues for injectable material structures capable of delivering effective cellular stimulation therapy, carrying implications across neuroscience medical devices, and regenerative medicine.

CO2 -Induced Spin-Lattice Coupling for Strong Magnetoelectric Materials.

The preparation of 2D magnetoelectric (ME) nanomaterials with strong ME coupling is crucial for the fast reading and writing processes in the next generation of storage devices. Herein, 2D BaTiO3 (BTO)-CoFe2 O4 (CFO) ME nanocomposites are prepared through a substrate-free coupling strategy using supercritical CO2 . Such 2D BTO-CFO with strong coupling is built through alternating in-plane and out-of-plane epitaxy stacking, leading to remarkable mutual biaxial strain effects for spin-lattice coupling. As a results, such strain effect significantly enhances the ferroelectricity of BTO and the ferrimagnetism of CFO, where an unexceptionally high ME coupling coefficient of (325.8mVcm-1 Oe-1 ) is obtained for the BTO-CFO nanocomposites.

A Flexible Magnetic Field Sensor Based on PZT/CFO Bilayer via van der Waals Oxide Heteroepitaxy.

Magnetoelectric (ME) magnetic field sensors utilize ME effects in ferroelectric ferromagnetic layered heterostructures to convert magnetic signals into electrical signals. However, the substrate clamping effect greatly limits the design and fabrication of ME composites with high ME coefficients. To reduce the clamping effect and improve the ME response, a flexible ME sensor based on PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3 (PZT)/CoFe2O4 (CFO) ME bilayered heterostructure was deposited on mica substrates via van der Waals oxide heteroepitaxy. A saturated magnetization of 114.5 emu/cm3 was observed in the bilayers. The flexible sensor exhibited a strong ME coefficient of 6.12 V/cm·Oe. The local ME coupling has been confirmed by the evolution of the ferroelectric domain under applied magnetic fields. The flexible ME sensor possessed a stable response with high sensitivity to both AC and DC weak magnetic fields. A high linearity of 0.9988 and sensitivity of 72.65 mV/Oe of the ME sensor were obtained under flat states. The ME output and limit-of-detection under different bending states showed an inferior trend as the bending radius increased. A flexible proximity sensor has been demonstrated, indicating a promising avenue for wearable device applications and significantly broadening the potential application of the flexible ME magnetic field sensors.

Parametric investigations of wireless energy transfer using strain-mediated magnetoelectric transmitter-receiver

Magnetoelectric (ME) composites inherently convert magnetic energy to electrical energy and vice-versa, making them a viable technology in wireless energy transfer (WET) applications. This article focuses on identifying the optimal configuration for achieving relatively high ME power conversion efficiency in a fully ME-based transmitter/receiver composite system. Two configurations of ME composites, one in concentric composite rings and the other in layered laminate formation, have been fabricated and used alternately as transmitters and receivers. The influence of three important parameters has been experimentally studied and reported, including the effect of (1) the magnetization state of the magnetostrictive components and (2) the relative orientation of and (3) the separation distance between the transmitter and the receiver. It has been found that a higher energy conversion efficiency is obtained in a configuration where the laminated plate was used as the transmitter while the ring composites acted as the receiver. Furthermore, the location and alignment of the receiver significantly influence the output transferred power. Lastly, the distance between the transmitter and the receiver has been observed to have an exponential inverse influence on the performance of the investigated WET system. These results have been deciphered by experimentally generating horizontal and vertical magnetic field mapping around the composite systems and capacitance measurement of the piezoelectric element. Thus, this article presents a detailed study of the parameters and their influence on the performance of the ME-based WET technology, which would be extremely useful in designing and optimizing devices based on this technology.

Multifunctional Magnetoelectric Sensing and Bending Actuator Response of Polymer-Based Hybrid Materials with Magnetic Ionic Liquids.

With the evolution of the digital society, the demand for miniaturized multifunctional devices has been increasing, particularly for sensors and actuators. These technological translators allow successful interaction between the physical and digital worlds. In particular, the development of smart materials with magnetoelectric (ME) properties, capable of wirelessly generating electrical signals in response to external magnetic fields, represents a suitable approach for the development of magnetic field sensors and actuators due to their ME coupling, flexibility, robustness and easy fabrication, compatible with additive manufacturing technologies. This work demonstrates the suitability of magnetoelectric (ME) responsive materials based on the magnetic ionic liquid (MIL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrachloroferrate ([Bmim][FeCl4]) and the polymer poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE) for magnetic sensing and actuation device development. The developed sensor works in the AC magnetic field and has frequency-dependent sensitivity. The materials show voltage responses in the mV range, suitable for the development of magnetic field sensors with a highest sensitivity (s) of 76 mV·Oe-1. The high ME response (maximum ME voltage coefficient of 15 V·cm-1·Oe-1) and magnetic bending actuation (2.1 mm) capability are explained by the magnetoionic (MI) interaction and the morphology of the composites.

Development of a novel lead free (CoFe1.9Bi0.1O4/BaTi0.89Sn0.11O3/CoFe1.9Bi0.1O4) magnetoelectric composite via new design strategy

A novel lead free ceramic based magnetoelectric (ME) tri-layered composite with new design strategy has been fabricated by using sol-gel synthesized Bi3+ doped CoFe2O4 and Sn4+ doped BaTiO3. Structural, microstructural, magnetostriction, piezoelectric and magnetoelectric properties of the synthesized materials and developed system have been thoroughly investigated. CoFe1.9Bi0.1O4 have shown the improvement of magnetostriction (∼259 ppm) and strain sensitivity (∼323 ×10−9 Oe−1) compared to those of un-doped CoFe2O4 (magnetostriction ∼163 ppm and strain sensitivity ∼99 ×10−9 Oe−1). On the other hand, the piezoelectricity of BaTi0.89Sn0.11O3 has improved to 424 pC/N from a value of 194 pC/N for un-doped BaTiO3. The unique design strategy (where the output signal has been collected directly from the piezoelectric layer) and the simultaneous improvement of both the magnetostriction and piezoelectricity of the corresponding components have helped in achieving high ME coupling in the final device. The achievement of high values of in-plane ME coupling coefficients (αME) (α31) at off-resonance and zero-bias resonance conditions (αME ∼49 and 750 mV.cm−1. Oe−1, respectively) have proven the ability of the fabricated device in various potential applications related to magnetic field sensing and magnetoelectric effect.

Effect of nano-size on magnetostriction of BiFeO3 and exceptional magnetoelectric coupling properties of BiFeO3_P(VDF-TrFE) polymer composite films for magnetic field sensor application

The existence of magnetostriction in bulk BiFeO3 is still a matter of investigation and it is also an issue to investigate the magnetostriction effect in nano BiFeO3. Present work demonstrates the existence of magnetostrictive strain in superparamagnetic (SPM) BiFeO3 nanoparticles at room temperature and the magnetoelectric (ME) coupling properties in composite form with P(VDF-TrFE). Despite few reports on the magnetostriction effect in bulk BiFeO3 evidenced by the indirect method, the direct method (strain gauge) was employed in this work to examine the magnetostriction of SPM BiFeO3. In addition, a high ME coupling coefficient was observed by the lock-in technique for optimized BiFeO3_P(VDF-TrFE) nanocomposite film. These nanocomposite films also exhibit room-temperature multiferroic properties. These results provide aspects of material with immense potential for practical applications in spintronics and magneto-electronics applications. We report a ME sensor using SPM BiFeO3_P(VDF-TrFE) nanocomposite film for detection of ac magnetic field.

Enhanced Polarization Effect of Flexible Magnetoelectric PVDF-TrFE/Fe3O4 Smart Nanocomposites for Nonvolatile Memory Application

High power consumption of nonvolatile memory is a major challenge, as it reduces the memory efficiency of information storage devices. The magnetoelectric (ME) coupling in multiferroic nanocomposites, which can be utilized in magnetoelectric random access memory, is an effective approach to reduce power consumption in information storage. Here, a type of ME nanocomposite embedded with 0.5 wt % Fe3O4 is presented, exhibiting higher ME voltage coefficients for piezoelectric thin films. Specifically, the ME voltage coefficient of the P(VDF-TrFE)/Fe3O4 composite developed in this study is 8.97 mV/(cm·Oe), which is 17.5% higher compared to that of the pure P(VDF-TrFE) at a Hdc of 1000 Oe. Meanwhile, the enhanced ME effect of smart nanocomposites is characterized by the increase of diffraction peak intensity at a microscopic level. The nanocomposite films exhibit high ME voltage coefficients and information storage performance, providing a great potential for creating next-generation memory devices in the realm of artificial intelligence and wearable devices.

Magnetic and Magnetoelectric Properties of AurivilliusThree- and Four-Layered Intergrowth Ceramics

In this work, we have prepared intergrowth of multiferroic compounds namely Bi4RTi3Fe0.7Co0.3O15-Bi3RTi2Fe0.7Co0.3O12−δ (BRTFCO15-BRTFCO12) (rare earth (R) = Dy, Sm, La) by solid-state reaction method. From the X-ray diffraction Rietveld refinement, the structure of the intergrowths was found to be orthorhombic in which satisfactory fittings establish the existence of three-layered (space group: b 2 c b) and four-layered compounds (space group: A21am). Analysis of magnetic measurements confirmed a larger magnetization for theSm-modified intergrowth compound (BSTFCO15-BSTFCO12) compared to Dy- and La-doped ones. The emergence of higher magnetic properties can be due to distortion in the unit cell when some Bi3+ ions are replaced with the Sm3+, bonding of Fe3+-O-Co3+ as well as a possible mixture of FexCoy-type nanoparticles that are formed generally in the synthesis of intergrowths. The changes in the magnetic state of the Aurivillius intergrowths have been reflected in the magnetoelectric (ME) coupling: higher ME coefficient (~30 mV/Cm-Oe) at lower magnetic fields and is constant up to 3 kOe. The results were corroborated by Raman spectroscopy and variation of temperature with magnetization data. The results revealed that the RE-modified intergrowth route is an effective preparative method for higher-layer Aurivillius multiferroic ceramics.

A New Type of Magnetic Material for Anisotropic Magnetoelectric Effect

Magnetostrictive fiber composites (MFC) based on nickel wires with a diameter of 150 μm, arranged parallel to each other and immersed in a polymer matrix, were fabricated. The field and angular dependences of the MFC magnetostriction have been investigated. Direct magnetoelectric (ME) effect in a two-layered composite structure consisting of a layer of PZT and MFC piezoelectric ceramics has been studied. The frequency, field, and angular dependences of the magnetoelectric (ME) voltage in the PZT-MFC structure are obtained. The highest ME coefficient α1 = 1.7 V/(Oe • cm) was obtained at a frequency of 7.86 kHz with a parallel orientation of the magnetic field relative to the wires. The anisotropy of the ME effect was found. It arises due to the anisotropy of the MFC magnetostriction. It is shown that as a result of the influence of the demagnetizing factor ME voltage decreases with an increase in the angle between the direction of the magnetic field and the axis of the wires. At the same time magnetic field Hm in which ME voltage reaches its maximum increases. A theoretical approach to the change in the ME voltage from the angle between the direction of the magnetic field and the axis of the wires is presented as well.

Strain Modulation of Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy in Wrinkle-Patterned (Co/Pt)5/BaTiO3 Magnetoelectric Heterostructures.

The rapid development of spintronics requires the devices to be flexible, to be used in wearable electronics, and controllable, to be used with magnetoelectric (ME) structures. However, the clamping effect inevitably leads to a decreased ME effect on the rigid substrate, and it remains challenging to directly prepare high-quality ferroelectric (FE) membranes on the widely used flexible substrate such as MICA or polyimide (PI). Here, periodic wrinkle-patterned flexible (Co/Pt)5/BaTiO3 (BTO) perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) heterostructures were prepared using the water-soluble method. The high-quality single-crystal BTO membrane ensures that intricate wrinkles do not fracture and a high ME coefficient is achievable. The transferred sample that is released from the clamping effect shows an enhanced ME effect in both in-plane and out-of-plane directions, with the ME coefficient reaching up to 68 Oe °C-1. The ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) field of the flexible sample can be tuned by tensile strain up to 272 Oe. The finely controlled wrinkle shows periodic strain variations at peak and valley regions that switch the PMA magnetic domain motion as an effective control method. The proposed ultraflexible wrinkle sample shows great potential for combining multiple magnetization tuning approaches, allowing it to potentially serve as a tunable high-density 3D storage prototype.

Ionic-triggered magnetoelectric coupling for magnetic sensing applications

The manipulation of electric properties by magnetic fields in magnetoelectric (ME) materials has driven significant research activity and industrial attention, as a result of their disruptive technological potential. Conventional ME nanocomposites exhibit low ME responses, involve electric poling, and AC magnetic excitation after fabrication. Such limitations hinder their full implementation in the scope of the digitalization of society (Internet of Things and Industry 4.0). In this work all those technological/scientific problems are jointly addressed through the nanoengineering of a new type of ME coupling, whose voltage response is ionic-triggered. The polymer-based nanocomposite with 20 weight percentage (wt.%) of [Bmim][Cl] ionic liquid and 30 wt.% of CoFe2O4 leads to the highest ME coupling coefficient reported in the literature (≈ 0.6 V.cm−1.Oe−1), value that is promising for applications, as demonstrated by its incorporation on a speed sensor.

Multiferroic Cantilevers Containing a Magnetoactive Elastomer: Magnetoelectric Response to Low-Frequency Magnetic Fields of Triangular and Sinusoidal Waveform.

In this work, multiferroic cantilevers comprise a layer of a magnetoactive elastomer (MAE) and a commercially available piezoelectric polymer-based vibration sensor. The structures are fixed at one end in the horizontal plane and the magnetic field is applied vertically. First, the magnetoelectric (ME) response to uniform, triangle-wave magnetic fields with five different slew rates is investigated experimentally. Time and field dependences of the generated voltage, electric charge, and observed mechanical deflection are obtained and compared for four different thicknesses of the MAE layer. The ME responses to triangular and sinusoidal wave excitations are examined in contrast. Second, the ME response at low frequencies (≤3 Hz) is studied by the standard method of harmonic magnetic field modulation. The highest ME coupling coefficient is observed in the bias magnetic field strength of ≈73 kA/m and it is estimated to be about 3.3 ns/m (ME voltage coefficient ≈ 25 V/A) at theoretically vanishing modulation frequency ( Hz). Presented results demonstrate that the investigated heterostructures are promising for applications as magnetic-field sensors and energy harvesting devices.

Low-Frequency Magnetic Field Detection Using Magnetoelectric Sensor With Optimized Metglas Layers by Frequency Modulation

It is an important engineering challenge to detect a weak magnetic field <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${H}_{AC}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> at low frequencies (1-100 Hz) due to large noise. In this work, a magnetoelectric (ME) sensor using single-crystal quartz material as the piezoelectric phase and optimized magnetostrictive layers has been presented to sense the low-frequency magnetic field signals. Firstly, the ME response properties of the bulk Metglas/quartz/Metglas laminate sensor were studied and a high ME coefficient of 3038 V/(cm <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\cdot $ </tex-math></inline-formula> Oe) has been attained in its electromechanical resonance frequency. With frequency modulation technique, which a magnetic low-frequency signal can be transferred to around resonance frequency of the sensor, the proposed sensor was used to detect the low frequency magnetic field signals under zero bias conditions. It is experimentally found that the absolute resolution with respect to a 1 Hz magnetic field can be decreased as low as 44 pT ± 1.41 pT with 20 layers of Metglas. More importantly, the ME coefficients with different layers under zero bias and the effect of Metglas layers on the limit of the detection at 1 Hz also have been investigated. The results show that the limit of the detection at 1 Hz can be decreased to 10 pT ± 0.32 pT with 14 layers of Metglas which indicates an enhancement by 4.4 times in comparison with 20 layers. This simple bulk Metglas/quartz/Metglas laminate sensor with optimized layers has a great potential to be used for low-frequency bio-magnetic signals measurement at room temperature.

Equivalent circuit analysis of a shear-shear mode resonance LiNbO3/Metglas bilayer composites with giant magnetoelectric response

Previous papers have reported equivalent circuit analysis and circuit models of longitudinal or transverse type magnetoelectric (ME) composites. In this paper, a hybrid Mason's equivalent circuit model is developed for shear piezomagnetic/shear piezoelectric (S-S) mode resonance bilayer composites structure. A high-quality factor (Q-factor) LiNbO3/Metglas shear mode ME structure is then investigated by theoretical modeling of both piezomagnetic and piezoelectric layers. A hybrid shear mode equivalent circuit is presented by introducing the concept of Mason's equivalent circuit model for the piezomagnetic layer. The modeling results reveal the potential of S-S model ME composites with high Q- factor to achieve an exceptional high ME coefficient, e.g., the bilayer structure at resonance of RF frequency (>MHz) exhibits a ME coefficient of 175,000 V/cmOe.

Dielectric and magnetoelectric coupling properties of Lead-free (1-x) Bi 0.9Sm 0.1FeO 3/ (x) La 0.7Sr 0.3MnO3 (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1) composites at room temperature

Multiferroic composites (1-x) Bi 0.9Sm 0.1FeO 3/ (x) La 0.7Sr 0.3MnO3 (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1) have been synthesized and their dielectric and magnetoelectric (ME) properties were measured at room temperature. X-ray diffraction patterns show peaks corresponding to both Bi 0.9Sm 0.1FeO 3 (BSFO) and La 0.7Sr 0.3MnO3 (LSMO) phase, which indicates the successful formation of composites. The frequency responses of dielectric properties have been investigated over a wide range of frequencies at room temperature. The dielectric constant and AC conductivity of the samples enhances with increasing content of LSMO. Furthermore, the ME responses of the samples were analyzed at room temperature shows highest ME coupling value of 24.67 mV/cm Oe for composite with x = 0.05. It could generate up to 2.05 V/cm for a magnetic field of 86 Oe. The voltage generation in the composite with modulating AC field maintains a linear relation and point towards the direct application of the material in a variety of next generation low power consuming devices working at room temperature.