Magnetoelectric Sensor Excitations In Hexaferrite Slabs

We developed techniques for H- and E-field sensors utilizing single phase magnetoelectric (ME) hexaferrite slabs in the frequency range of 100 Hz to 10 MHz. Novel circuit designs incorporating both spiral and solenoid coils and single and multi-capacitor banks were developed to probe the physics and properties of ME hexaferrites and explore ME effects for sensor detections. Fundamental measurements of the anisotropic tensor elements of the magneto-electric coupling parameter were performed using these novel techniques. In addition, for H-field sensing experiments we measured sensitivity of about 3000Vm(-1)/G using solenoid coils and 8000Vm(-1)/G using spiral coils. For E-field, sensing the sensitivity was 10(-4) G/ Vm(-1) and using single capacitor detector. Sensitivity for multi-capacitor detectors was measured to be in the order of 10(-3) G/Vm(-1) and frequency dependent exhibiting a maximum value at -1MHz. Tunability of 0.1%-90% was achieved for tunable inductor applications using both single and multi-capacitors excitation. We believe that significant (similar to 10(6)) improvements in sensitivity and tunability are feasible with simple modifications of the fabrication process. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.