Circumferential-mode, quasi-ring-type, magnetoelectric laminate composite-a highly sensitive electric current andor vortex magnetic field sensor

Abstract

A quasi-ring-type magnetoelectric (ME) laminate composite consisting of a circumferentially poled piezoelectric Pb (Zn13 Nb23 O)3 -4.5 at. % PbTiO3 single-crystal ring and two circumferentially magnetized magnetostrictive TERFENOL-D rings was fabricated and found to have a giant ME voltage coefficient of 2.2 VOe, or equivalently a ME field coefficient of 5.5 Vcm Oe, over the frequency range of 0.5 < 105 Hz. This circumferential-mode quasiring ME laminate can detect ac currents (noncontact) as small as 10-7 A, andor a vortex magnetic field as small as 6× 10-12 Tesla. In addition, we demonstrated current sensing capability of the quasiring laminate in a power electronics module. © 2005 American Institute of Physics.