Highly sensitive magnetostrictive NiZnCo ferrites for low magnetic field sensor applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Solid State Physics
• Magnetism

Background:

• Ferrites are crucial for multifunctional devices due to their magnetostrictive properties.
• Tailoring ferrite composition can enhance magnetostrictive strain and sensitivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize (Ni0.8Zn0.2)1-xCoxFe2O4 ferrites.
• To investigate the effect of cobalt substitution (x) on structural, magnetic, and magnetostrictive properties.
• To identify optimal compositions for low magnetic field applications.

Main Methods:

• Facile sintering method for ferrite preparation.
• X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for structural analysis.
• Magnetic measurements (Vibrating Sample Magnetometry - VSM) for magnetic properties.
• Magnetostrictive strain measurements.

Main Results:

• Lattice constant and grain size increased, while porosity decreased with increasing cobalt content (x).
• Saturation magnetization, coercivity, and magnetocrystalline anisotropy increased with x.
• Maximum strain sensitivity of 0.229 ppm Oe-1 was achieved at x = 0.4 under the smallest external magnetic field.
• Cobalt ferrite's hard magnetic nature led to decreased permeability.

Conclusions:

• Cobalt substitution in nickel-zinc ferrites enhances magnetostrictive strain and sensitivity.
• The composition x = 0.4 demonstrates significant potential for magnetoelectric sensors operating in low magnetic fields.
• Further optimization strategies for magnetostrictive materials were introduced.