Giant magnetostrictive superlattices: from spin reorientation transition to MEMS. Static and dynamical properties

The results of development of giant magnetostrictive multilayers with spin reorientation transition (SRT) for microactuators are presented. Manifestations of magneto-mechanical instability and nonlinearity near SRT are studied experimentally and simulated numerically. Improvement of magneto-mechanical sensitivity near SRT is demonstrated for various modes of linear and nonlinear actuation of magnetostrictive unimorph. Limitations of sensitivity caused by magnetic field distortions are described by a numerical model, the results are compared with the experimental data. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.