skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Explore Research Products in the PAR
It may take a few hours for recently added research products to appear in PAR search results.


Title: Nonlinear magnetoelectric effects in layered multiferroic composites
Magnetoelectric (ME) effects in a ferromagnetic and piezoelectric composite are the changes in the polarization caused by a magnetic field or the changes in the magnetization caused by an electric field. These effects are aided by the mechanical deformation in the ferroic phases caused by the combination of magnetostriction and piezoelectricity. Interest in ME effects is due to a variety of physical phenomena they exhibit, as well as their potential applications in the creation of highly sensitive magnetic field sensors and other electronic devices. Linear ME effects in structures with layers of different ferroic materials have been studied extensively. However, nonlinear ME effects, which are caused by the nonlinearity of the magnetic, dielectric, and acoustic properties of ferromagnets and piezoelectrics, are less well understood. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current state of knowledge on nonlinear ME (NLME) effects in composite heterostructures and to discuss their potential applications. The review begins by discussing the characteristics of materials that are conductive to the occurrence of NLME effects and ferromagnetic-piezoelectric materials that are most commonly used to study such effects. The review then provides details on theoretical approaches to the description of NLME effects in heterostructures and experimental methods for studying these effects. Finally, the review presents a chronological overview of the experimentally observed NLME effects in composite structures excited by low-frequency and pulsed magnetic or electric fields. The review concludes with a discussion on the potential applications of NLME effects for highly sensitive magnetic field sensors.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2236879 1923732
PAR ID:
10544753
Author(s) / Creator(s):
;
Publisher / Repository:
AIP
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Journal of Applied Physics
Volume:
135
Issue:
2
ISSN:
0021-8979
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. ; ; ; ; ; (, Applied Sciences)
    Composites of ferromagnetic and ferroelectric phases are of interest for studies on mechanical strain-mediated coupling between the two phases and for a variety of applications in sensors, energy harvesting, and high-frequency devices. Nanocomposites are of particular importance since their surface area-to-volume ratio, a key factor that determines the strength of magneto-electric (ME) coupling, is much higher than for bulk or thin-film composites. Core–shell nano- and microcomposites of the ferroic phases are the preferred structures, since they are free of any clamping due to substrates that are present in nanobilayers or nanopillars on a substrate. This review concerns recent efforts on ME coupling in coaxial fibers of spinel or hexagonal ferrites for the magnetic phase and PZT or barium titanate for the ferroelectric phase. Several recent studies on the synthesis and ME measurements of fibers with nickel ferrite, nickel zinc ferrite, or cobalt ferrite for the spinel ferrite and M-, Y-, and W-types for the hexagonal ferrites were considered. Fibers synthesized by electrospinning were found to be free of impurity phases and had uniform core and shell structures. Piezo force microscopy (PFM) and scanning microwave microscopy (SMM) measurements of strengths of direct and converse ME effects on individual fibers showed evidence for strong coupling. Results of low-frequency ME voltage coefficient and magneto-dielectric effects on 2D and 3D films of the fibers assembled in a magnetic field, however, were indicative of ME couplings that were weaker than in bulk or thick-film composites. A strong ME interaction was only evident from data on magnetic field-induced variations in the remnant ferroelectric polarization in the discs of the fibers. Follow-up efforts aimed at further enhancement in the strengths of ME coupling in core–shell composites are also discussed in this review. 
    more » « less
  2. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; (, Sensors)
    The magnetoelectric effect (ME) is an important strain mediated-phenomenon in a ferromagnetic-piezoelectric composite for a variety of sensors and signal processing devices. A bias magnetic field, in general, is essential to realize a strong ME coupling in most composites. Magnetic phases with (i) high magnetostriction for strong piezomagnetic coupling and (ii) large anisotropy field that acts as a built-in bias field are preferred so that miniature, ME composite-based devices can operate without the need for an external magnetic field. We are able to realize such a magnetic phase with a composite of (i) barium hexaferrite (BaM) with high magnetocrystalline anisotropy field and (ii) nickel ferrite (NFO) with high magnetostriction. The BNx composites, with (100 − x) wt.% of BaM and x wt.% NFO, for x = 0–100, were prepared. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the composites did not contain any impurity phases. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that, with an increase in NFO content, hexagonal BaM grains become prominent, leading to a large anisotropy field. The room temperature saturation magnetization showed a general increase with increasing BaM content in the composites. NFO rich composites with x ≥ 60 were found to have a large magnetostriction value of around −23 ppm, comparable to pure NFO. The anisotropy field HA of the composites, determined from magnetization and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurements, increased with increasing NFO content and reached a maximum of 7.77 kOe for x = 75. The BNx composite was cut into rectangular platelets and bonded with PZT to form the bilayers. ME voltage coefficient (MEVC) measurements at low frequencies and at mechanical resonance showed strong coupling at zero bias for samples with x ≥ 33. This large in-plane HA acted as a built-in field for strong ME effects under zero external bias in the bilayers. The highest zero-bias MEVC of ~22 mV/cm Oe was obtained for BN75-PZT bilayers wherein BN75 also has the highest HA. The Bilayer of BN95-PZT showed a maximum MEVC ~992 mV/cm Oe at electromechanical resonance at 59 kHz. The use of hexaferrite–spinel ferrite composite to achieve strong zero-bias ME coupling in bilayers with PZT is significant for applications related to energy harvesting, sensors, and high frequency devices. 
    more » « less
  3. ; ; ; ; ; (, Scientific Reports)
    Abstract This report is on the observation and analysis of nonlinear magnetoelectric effects (NLME) for in-plane currents perpendicularly to the hexagonal axis in single crystals and liquid phase epitaxy grown thin films of barium hexaferrite. Measurements involved tuning of ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) at 56–58 GHz in the multidomain and single domain states in the ferrite by applying a current. Data on the shift in the resonance frequency with input electric power was utilized to estimate the variations in the magnetic parameter that showed a linear dependence on the input electric power. The NLME tensor coefficients were determined form the estimated changes in the magnetization and uniaxial anisotropy field. The estimated NLME coefficients for in-plane currents are shown to be much higher than for currents flowing along the hexagonal axis. Although the frequency shift of FMR was higher for the single domain resonance, the multi-domain configuration is preferable for device applications since it eliminates the need for a large bias magnetic field. Thus, multidomain resonance with current in the basal plane is favorable for use in electrically tunable miniature, ferrite microwave signal processing devices requiring low operating power. 
    more » « less
  4. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; (, Journal of Composites Science)
    This report is on magneto-electric (ME) interactions in bulk composites with coaxial fibers of nickel–zinc ferrite and PZT. The core–shell fibers of PZT and Ni1−xZnxFe2O4 (NZFO) with x = 0–0.5 were made by electrospinning. Both kinds of fibers, either with ferrite or PZT core and with diameters in the range of 1–3 μm were made. Electron and scanning probe microscopy images indicated well-formed fibers with uniform core and shell structures and defect-free interface. X-ray diffraction data for the fibers annealed at 700–900 °C did not show any impurity phases. Magnetization, magnetostriction, ferromagnetic resonance, and polarization P versus electric field E measurements confirmed the ferroic nature of the fibers. For ME measurements, the fibers were pressed into disks and rectangular platelets and then annealed at 900–1000 °C for densification. The strengths of strain-mediated ME coupling were measured by the H-induced changes in remnant polarization Pr and by low-frequency ME voltage coefficient (MEVC). The fractional change in Pr under H increased in magnitude, from +3% for disks of NFO–PZT to −82% for NZFO (x = 0.3)-PZT, and a further increase in x resulted in a decrease to a value of −3% for x = 0.5. The low-frequency MEVC measured in disks of the core–shell fibers ranged from 6 mV/cm Oe to 37 mV/cm Oe. The fractional changes in Pr and the MEVC values were an order of magnitude higher than for bulk samples containing mixed fibers with a random distribution of NZFO and PZT. The bulk composites with coaxial fibers have the potential for use as magnetic field sensors and in energy-harvesting applications. 
    more » « less
  5. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; et al (, Advanced Materials)
    Abstract Topological spin/polarization structures in ferroic materials continue to draw great attention as a result of their fascinating physical behaviors and promising applications in the field of high‐density nonvolatile memories as well as future energy‐efficient nanoelectronic and spintronic devices. Such developments have been made, in part, based on recent advances in theoretical calculations, the synthesis of high‐quality thin films, and the characterization of their emergent phenomena and exotic phases. Herein, progress over the last decade in the study of topological structures in ferroic thin films and heterostructures is explored, including the observation of topological structures and control of their structures and emergent physical phenomena through epitaxial strain, layer thickness, electric, magnetic fields, etc. First, the evolution of topological spin structures (e.g., magnetic skyrmions) and associated functionalities (e.g., topological Hall effect) in magnetic thin films and heterostructures is discussed. Then, the exotic polar topologies (e.g., domain walls, closure domains, polar vortices, bubble domains, and polar skyrmions) and their emergent physical properties in ferroelectric oxide films and heterostructures are explored. Finally, a brief overview and prospectus of how the field may evolve in the coming years is provided. 
    more » « less
  • Citation Formats
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago
  • BibTeX
  • Save / Share this Record
  • Send to Email