Predicting Magnetoelectric Coupling in Layered and Graded Composites

Magnetoelectric (ME) interaction in magnetostrictive-piezoelectric multiferroic structures consists in inducing the electric field across the structure in an applied magnetic field and is a product property of magnetostriction and piezoelectricity in components. ME voltage coefficient that is the ratio of induced electric field to applied magnetic field is the key parameter of ME coupling strength. It has been known that the ME coupling strength is dictated by the product of the piezoelectric and piezomagnetic coefficients of initial phases. As a result, using the laminates with graded piezoelectric and piezomagnetic parameters are a new pathway to the increase in the ME coupling strength. Recently developed models predict stronger ME interactions in composites based on graded components compared to homogeneous ones. We discuss predicting the ME coupling strength for layered structures of homogeneous and compositionally graded magnetostrictive and piezoelectric components based on the graphs of ME voltage coefficients against composite parameters. For obtaining the graphs, we developed equations for ME output in applied magnetic field for possible modes of operation and layered structure configurations. In particular, our studies have been performed on low-frequency ME coupling, enhanced ME effect in electromechanical resonance (EMR) region for longitudinal and bending modes. Additionally, ME coupling at magnetic resonance in magnetostrictive component and at overlapping the EMR and magnetic resonance is investigated. We considered symmetric trilayers and asymmetric bilayers of magnetostrictive and piezoelectric components and multilayered structures based on compositionally stepped initial components.