Sensitive magnetic sensors using amorphous Wiegand-type ribbons

New sensitive bistable magnetic sensors are presented using amorphous magnetostrictive ribbons. These Wiegand-type ribbons induce symmetrical sharp voltage pulses with 20-50 microsecond width at the half amplitude against the sinusoidal exciting field of more than 1.2 Oe and 0.1 Hz - 6 kHz. The domain nucleation field is about 0.6 Oe, which is about 1/50 that of the Wiegand wires. Straight and curved shape cores for magnetic sensors are easily designed using the amorphous bistable ribbons.