Strain induced giant magnetoelectric coupling in KNN/Metglas/KNN sandwich multilayers

A lead-free magnetoelectric composite with sandwich layers of K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN)/Co76Fe14Ni4Si5B (Metglas)/KNN is fabricated as a cantilever and it is characterized for its magnetic, ferroelectric, and magnetoelectric properties. Giant magnetoelectric (ME) coupling is recorded under both resonant and sub resonant conditions and the data are presented here. The observed magnetoelectric coupling coefficient reaches a maximum of 1321 V/cm Oe at resonance (750 Hz) and 9.5 V/cm Oe at a sub-resonant frequency of 50 Hz. The corresponding theoretical calculations are provided for comparison. High magnetostriction as well as initial permeability, fairly good piezoelectric properties, and low dielectric constant cumulatively contribute to the giant magnetoelectric properties in the present system. The high resonance and sub resonance ME coupling voltages make the system ideal for transducers and energy harvesting device applications. Published by AIP Publishing.