Design and characterization of broadband magnetoelectric sensor

In this study, we present a broadband magnetoelectric (ME) sensor design comprising of Metglas and piezoelectric ceramic laminate composite. A systematic study was conducted to elucidate the role of various composite variables toward the ME response [longitudinal-transverse (LT) mode] over the applied range of magnetic dc bias. The broadband behavior was characterized by flat ME responses over a wide range of magnetic dc bias at frequency of 1 kHz. The variation in ME coefficient as a function of magnetic dc bias was found to be significantly dependent on the size and shape of the laminate composites, the number of Metglas layers, and composite structure of sandwich versus unimorph. By adjusting these variables, we were able to achieve near-flat ME response over a magnetic bias range of 90-220 Oe. ME coefficient was also measured as a function of frequency, and at electromechanical resonance the peak value was found to be almost independent of applied magnetic bias in the range of 90-220 Oe. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3117484]