Fe-Ga/Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O-3-PbTiO3 magnetoelectric laminate composites

We have found large magnetoelectric (ME) effects in long-type laminate composites of Fe-20% Ga magnetostrictive alloys and piezoelectric Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O-3-PbTiO3 single crystals. At lower frequencies, the ME voltage coefficient of a laminate with longitudinally magnetized and longitudinally polarized (i.e., L-L mode) layers was 1.41 V/Oe (or 1.01 V/cm Oe). Near the natural resonant frequency (similar to 91 kHz) of the laminate, the ME voltage coefficients were found to be dramatically increased to 50.7 V/Oe (36.2 V/cm Oe) for the L-L mode. In addition, the laminate can detect a minute magnetic field as low as similar to 2 x 10(-12) T at resonance frequency, and similar to 1 x 10(-10) T at lower frequencies. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.