Anisotropic behaviour of magneto-electric coupling in multiferroic composites

Abstract

The anisotropy of the direct magnetoelectric effect in textured nickel ferrite/lead zirconate titanate strain mediated bilayer composites has been studied. The magnetic layers of these samples have been crystallographically textured in planes of the form {100}, {110} and {111}.
In this study, it is shown that the optimum bias field and the maximum magnetoelectric coupling signal can be controlled by changing the alignment of the applied magnetic field with respect to the magnetocrystalline anisotropy directions. It is also shown that the product of the optimum bias field and the maximum magnetoelectric coupling signal are proportional to the theoretical saturation magnetostriction.
The samples have been magnetically characterised using a recommissioned and developed biaxial vibrating sample magnetometer, capable of detecting the component of a sample’s magnetic moment in 2 perpendicular directions and thus determining the net magnetic moment vector of the sample. Coupled with sample rotation this allows insight into the magnetic anisotropy of the sample, which has been compared with a micromagnetic model.
A specialist magnetoelectric coupling rig has also been developed to allow application of DC and AC magnetic fields to a sample simultaneously.
As part of the magnetic anisotropy study, a modified torque magnetometry method has been developed to enhance the identification of the anisotropy directions in magnetically soft samples, as well as a method by which torque magnetometry can be approximated using the in-field direction component of magnetisation as measured using a standard vibrating sample magnetometer.