Giant magnetoelectric coupling in laminate thin film structure grown on magnetostrictive substrate

Highly dense 1 mu m-thick piezoelectric film was deposited on magnetostrictive substrate [platinized nickel-zinc ferrite (NZF)]. A strong magnetic coupling between the piezoelectric film and magnetostrictive NZF substrate was measured exhibiting the maximum magnetoelectric (ME) coefficient on the order of 140 mV/cm Oe at the conditions of H-DC = 50 Oe and H-AC = 1Oe at f = 1 kHz. This giant ME coupling under low DC magnetic field condition is attributed to effective elastic coupling. A rotation-type dynamic strain distribution was observed on the PZT film surface which provides information about the nature of elastic coupling. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4712132]