Recent Progress of Fluxgate Magnetic Sensors: Basic Research and Application

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Electrical Engineering
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Fluxgate magnetic sensors are vital for detecting weak magnetic fields, operating on Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction.
• Their structure, comprising excitation windings, core, and sensing windings, is analogous to a transformer.
• Current applications span geophysics, space observation, wearables, and non-destructive testing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent progress in fluxgate magnetic sensor research and applications, particularly over the last two years.
• To highlight advancements in fundamental research, including noise reduction, calibration, and sensitivity enhancement.
• To showcase emerging applications in diverse fields.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on research published in the past two years.
• Analysis of advancements in sensor design and performance metrics.
• Compilation of case studies on recent applications.

Main Results:

• Significant progress has been made in reducing noise levels and improving calibration techniques for fluxgate sensors.
• Increased sensitivity has been achieved, enhancing detection capabilities.
• New applications have emerged, including use in spacecraft, UAVs, wearables, and coiled tubing defect detection.

Conclusions:

• Recent advancements have improved the performance of fluxgate magnetic sensors.
• The expanding range of applications demonstrates the technology's versatility and importance.
• Future research should focus on further enhancing sensitivity and exploring novel applications.