Magnetic hysteresis loops are measured by ultrasonic techniques and used in visualizing the magnetic-flux distribution in a steel plate. The piezomagnetic coefficient determines the amplitude of acoustically stimulated electromagnetic (ASEM) fields, yielding the hysteresis behavior of the intensity of the ASEM response. By utilizing the high correspondence of the ASEM response to the magnetic-flux density, we image the specific spatial patterns of the flux density formed by an artificial defect in a steel plate specimen. Magnetic-flux probing by ultrasonic waves is thus shown to be a viable method of nondestructive material inspection.

We present ultrasonic techniques for magnetic measurements. Acoustically modulated magnetization is investigated with sensitive rf detection by narrowband loop antennas. Magnetization on the surface of ferromagnetic metals is temporally modulated with the rf frequency of the irradiated ultrasonic waves, and the near-field components emitted from the focal point of the ultrasonic beam are detected. Based on the principle of the acoustically stimulated electromagnetic (ASEM) response, magnetic sensing and tomography are demonstrated by ultrasonic scanning. We show that ASEM imaging combines good acoustic resolution with magnetic contrast. The sensitivity of this method is estimated to be about 6 G/Hz(1∕2) in our current setup.

The signal amplitude and the phase of acoustically stimulated electromagnetic (ASEM) response have been investigated in steel. In the ASEM method, magnetization is temporally modulated with the radio frequency (rf) of irradiated ultrasonic waves through magnetomechanical coupling. The first-harmonic components of the induced rf dipolar magnetic fields are detected using a resonant loop antenna. The signal amplitude of ASEM waves is determined by the magnitude of local piezomagnetic coefficients on an acoustically excited spot. Here, we divided the ASEM waves into the “in-phase” and “quadrature” components by phase-sensitive detection (PSD). On the basis of the linear response theory, we provided the theoretical formalism of ASEM response by introducing local complex piezomagnetic coefficients, dloc = d′ + id′′. We investigated the magnetic field (H) dependence of the individual components on the different surface conditions of steel plates. The in-phase component [∝ d′(H)] shows a hysteresis loop on the machined surface of a steel plate, in which d′(H) switches sign at two finite field values, ±H0. The inversion of magnetization associated with the applied static fields is thus definitely observed in the PSD measurements. In addition, we measured the hysteresis behaviors on a steel surface with a thin mill scale (iron oxide layers). The hysteresis loop broadens and a significant contribution of the quadrature component [∝ d′′(H)] is found. We discuss the origin of the hysteresis behaviors of d′ and d′′ using the Debye relaxation model.

No abstract

No abstract