Magnetoelectric effect near spin reorientation transition in giant magnetostrictive-aluminum nitride thin film structure

Hybrid giant magnetostrictive-piezoelectric film/film structures exhibiting magnetoelectric (ME) effect associated with a magnetic instability of the spin reorientation transition type are presented. We first present the theoretical study of a clamped beam actuator composed of a piezoelectric layer on a substrate actuated by a magnetostrictive layer. The actuator is a polished 50 μm thick 18×5 mm2 silicon substrate coated by an electrode, aluminum nitride, and magnetostrictive nanostructured layer. A ME coefficient of 30 V Oe−1 cm−1 at a 35 KHz longitudinal resonance was measured. Nonlinear excitation of this mode showed a “nonlinear” dynamic ME coefficient of 4 V Oe−1 cm−1.