Trade-off between spatial resolution and sensitivity of magnetoelectric magnetic field sensors

Magnetoelectric (ME) magnetic field sensors are an aspiring sensor type for the accurate measurement of biomagnetic fields in applications such as magnetocardiography or placing of deep-brain stimulation electrodes. Their design allows measurement of magnetic fields in the low pT-range while offering unique benefits such as unshielded operation and no requirement of additional heating or cooling [1] . In previous work, we demonstrated that cantilever-type ME sensors of strain-coupled magnetostrictive and piezoelectric layers exhibit a strongly position-dependent behavior when excited by inhomogeneous magnetic fields [2] . Here, we investigate in a theoretical study a sensor with reduced magnetostrictive layer size with the aim to increase the spatial resolution.

Magnetoelectric (ME) magnetic field sensors are an aspiring sensor type for the accurate measurement of biomagnetic fields in applications such as magnetocardiography or placing of deep-brain stimulation electrodes. Their design allows measurement of magnetic fields in the low pT-range while offering unique benefits such as unshielded operation and no requirement of additional heating or cooling [1]. In previous work, we demonstrated that cantilever-type ME sensors of strain-coupled magnetostrictive and piezoelectric layers exhibit a strongly position-dependent behavior when excited by inhomogeneous magnetic fields [2]. Here, we investigate in a theoretical study a sensor with reduced magnetostrictive layer size with the aim to increase the spatial resolution.