Self-biased converse magnetoelectric effect

In this letter, we investigate the direct magnetoelectric (DME) and converse magnetoelectric (CME) effects in three-phase metal-ceramic laminate composites. Longitudinally poled and transversely magnetized (L-T) laminate was fabricated by bonding nickel plates between the two particulate magnetoelectric (ME) composite layers of composition 0.8 (0.948 K(0.5)Na(0.5)NbO(3) - 0.052 LiSbO(3)) - 0.2 (Ni(0.8)Zn(0.2)Fe(2)O(4)) (KNNLS-NZF). Under off-resonance condition, the laminates exhibited hysteretic DME and CME responses as a function of applied bias field (H(bias)). Self-biased effect characterized by non-zero ME response at zero H(bias) was observed. The self-biased DME and CME properties were found to be enhanced under resonance conditions. Without external H(bias), magnetic induction switching was possible by applying AC voltage. These results provide the possibility of using self-biased CME effect in electrically controlled memory devices and magnetic flux control devices. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3662420]