Scott M. Gillette

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

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.

Multiferroic heterostructure fringe field tuning of meander line microstrip ferrite phase shifter

Magnetic fringe fields emanating from a multiferroic heterostructure composite of Terfenol-D and lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate were utilized to actively tune a meander line microstrip ferrite phase shifter operating above ferrimagnetic resonance at C-band. Differential phase shifts of 65° were measured when tuned with an applied voltage to the multiferroic heterostructure. This demonstration of magnetoelectric field generation provides an alternative approach to tuning broadband planar microwave magnetic devices where neither strain nor direct electromagnetic coupling is experienced between device and multiferroic transducer.

Improved Sensitivity and Noise in Magneto-Electric Magnetic Field Sensors by Use of Modulated AC Magnetostriction

A magnetic field sensor based on the nonlinear nature of the magnetostrictive response of a magneto-electric (ME) heterostructure has two orders of magnitude improvement in sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio compared with a conventional dc-biased configuration. The sensor consists of a longitudinally magnetized and transversely poled lamination of iron-cobalt-boron (Metglas) and lead zirconate titanate (PZT). The ac-modulated sensor has enhanced environmental noise immunity and does not require a dc magnetic bias field. Combined, these advantages hold promise for the development of miniature ME sensor elements for applications with size and weight limitations.

Self Biased Y-Junction Circulator at

A self-biased microstrip Y-junction circulator was designed, fabricated and tested at Ku band utilizing strontium M-type barium ferrite. The junction circuit consisted of a dielectric slab resting upon a polished thin composite plate of bulk strontium M-type hexaferrite. This approach proved to be mechanically rigid and compatible with the fabrication of integrated circuits yielding practical electrical characteristics of a circulator circuit. The measured isolation was 21 dB, and the insertion loss was 1.52 dB at 13.6 GHz. The measurements matched well with the HFSS simulation of the composite circulator design.

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The synthesis and properties of Mg((x))Zn((1 - x))Fe(2)O(4) spinel ferrites as a low-toxicity alternative to the technologically significant Ni((x))Zn((1 - x))Fe(2)O(4) ferrites are reported. Ferrite nanoparticles have been formed through both the polyol and aqueous co-precipitation methods that can be readily adapted to industrial scale synthesis to satisfy the demand of a variety of commercial applications. The structure, morphology and magnetic properties of Mg((x))Zn((1 - x))Fe(2)O(4) were studied as a function of composition and particle size. Scanning electron microscopy images show particles synthesised by the aqueous co-precipitation method possess a broad size distribution (i.e. ∼ 80-120 nm) with an average diameter of the order of 100 nm ± 20 nm and could be produced in high process yields of up to 25 g l(-1). In contrast, particles synthesised by the polyol-based co-precipitation method possess a narrower size distribution with an average diameter in the 30 nm ± 5 nm range but are limited to smaller yields of ∼ 6 g l(-1). Furthermore, the polyol synthesis method was shown to control average particle size by varying the length of the glycol surfactant chain. Particles prepared by both methods are compared with respect to their phase purity, crystal structure, morphology, magnetic properties and microwave properties.

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The fringe magnetic field, induced by magnetoelectric coupling in a bilayer Fe-Ga/Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3_PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) multifunctional composite, was investigated. The induced external field is characterized as having a butterfly hysteresis loop when tuned by an applied electric field. A tuning coefficient of the electrically induced fringe magnetic field is derived from the piezoelectric and magnetostrictive properties of the composite. A measured maximum tuning coefficient, 4.5 Oe/(kV cm−1), is found to agree well with theoretical prediction. This work establishes a foundation in the design of transducers based on the magnetoelectric effect.The fringe magnetic field, induced by magnetoelectric coupling in a bilayer Fe-Ga/Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3_PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) multifunctional composite, was investigated. The induced external field is characterized as having a butterfly hysteresis loop when tuned by an applied electric field. A tuning coefficient of the electrically induced fringe magnetic field is derived from the piezoelectric and magnetostrictive properties of the composite. A measured maximum tuning coefficient, 4.5 Oe/(kV cm−1), is found to agree well with theoretical prediction. This work establishes a foundation in the design of transducers based on the magnetoelectric effect.

Structure, morphology and magnetic properties of Mg(x) Zn(1 − x)Fe2O4 ferrites prepared by polyol and aqueous co-precipitation methods: a low-toxicity alternative to Ni(x)Zn(1 − x)Fe2O4 ferrites

Active magnetic tuning of a microstrip hairpin-line coupled resonator bandpass filter fabricated on a polycrystalline yttrium iron garnet substrate has been demonstrated. The filter exhibits a five-pole Chebyshev response with passband center frequency tunability from 8.3 to 9 GHz under low applied H fields of 50–200 Oe. The instantaneous bandwidth was measured to be approximately 1 GHz. During tuning, passband center frequency insertion loss varies between 1 and 1.4 dB. Good agreement between simulated and measured device performance was demonstrated. Advantages of the proposed filter design include planar geometry, compact size, low insertion loss, and low field tunability. The proposed design approach lends itself to the implementation of a wide range of filter responses, including low pass, high pass, bandpass, and band stop, as well as passband characteristics, including center frequency, fractional bandwidth, passband ripple, out-of-band rejection, etc.

Tunable fringe magnetic fields induced by converse magnetoelectric coupling in a FeGa/PMN-PT multiferroic heterostructure

Piezoelectric films of Pb(Zr0.53Ti0.47)O3 (PZT) were deposited by pulsed laser deposition onto metallic magnetostrictive substrates. In order to optimize the growth of PZT films, a buffer layer of Pt was employed, as well as variation of deposition temperature, pressure, and laser energy. Room temperature θ-2θ x-ray diffraction measurements indicate all diffraction features correspond to reflections indexed to a single PZT phase of space group P4mm. Scanning electron microscopy images reveal pinhole-free dense films of pyramidal shaped crystal arrangements whose orientation and size were controlled by variation of oxygen pressures during deposition. The resulting PZT films had a value of d33 ∼ 46 pm/V representing a 53% increase over previous efforts to realize a piezoelectric/Metglas™ film heterostructure.

Active tuning of a microstrip hairpin-line microwave bandpass filter on a polycrystalline yttrium iron garnet substrate using small magnetic fields

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.

Epitaxial growth of Pb(Zr0.53Ti0.47)O3 films on Pt coated magnetostrictive amorphous metallic substrates toward next generation multiferroic heterostructures

Thick barium hexaferrite Ba2Zn2Fe12O22 (i.e., Zn2Y) films having thicknesses of ∼100 μm were epitaxially grown on MgO (111) substrates using an environmentally benign ferrite-salt mixture by vaporizing the salt. X-ray diffraction pole figure analyses showed (00l) crystallographic alignment with little in plane dispersion confirming epitaxial growth. Saturation magnetization, 4πMs, was measured for as-grown films to be 2.51 ± 0.1 kG with an out of plane magnetic anisotropy field HA of 8.9 ± 0.1 kOe. Ferromagnetic resonance linewidth, as the peak-to-peak power absorption derivative at 9.6 GHz, was measured to be 62 Oe. These properties demonstrate a rapid, convenient, cost-effective, and nontoxic method of growing high quality thick crystalline ferrite films which could be used widely for microwave device applications.