Low damping resonant magnetoelectric sensors

The signal of magnetic sensors based on resonant cantilevers comprised of elastically coupled piezoelectric and magnetostrictive materials increases as the damping decreases. Here, we demonstrate that air damping which normally is suppressed by evacuation can also be substantially reduced by lowering the resonance frequency. We show that a Si-cantilever structured to include a seismic mass features a resonant magnetoelectric coupling coefficient of 1.8 kV/cmOe at 330 Hz in air. (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3497277]