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 mu m thick 18 x 5 mm(2) 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). (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3001601]