Giant magnetoelectric effect in negative magnetostrictive/piezoelectric/positive magnetostrictive semiring structure

Magnetoelectric (ME) Ni/PZT/TbFe2 and TbFe2/PZT composites with two semiring structures are prepared. The dependence between ME coupling and magnetostrictive property of the composite is discussed. Because Ni possesses negative magnetostrictive property and TbFe2 shows positive magnetostrictive property, the ME voltage coefficient of Ni/PZT/TbFe2 semiring structure is much larger than that of TbFe2/PZT. In these composites, the ME voltage coefficient increases and the resonance frequency gradually decreases with the increase of the semiring radius, showing that structural parameters are key factors to the composite properties. Due to the strong ME coupling effect, a giant ME voltage coefficient alpha(E) = 44.8V cm(-1) Oe(-1) is obtained. This approach opens a way for the design of ME composites with giant ME voltage coefficient. (c) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC.