Core-shell nanofibers of nickel ferrite and lead zirconate titanate have been synthesized by electrospinning, assembled into superstructure in uniform or non-uniform magnetic fields, and have been characterized in terms of ferroic order parameters and strain mediated magneto-electric (ME) coupling. The core-shell structure was confirmed by electron microscopy and scanning probe microscopy. Studies on magnetic field induced polarization P in assembled samples showed a decrease or increase in P, depending on the nature of fibers and strengthening of ME coupling with change in remnant-P as high as 32%. Strong ME interactions were evident from H-induced variation in permittivity at 20–22 GHz.

We report on the first observation of nonlinear magnetoelectric effects at room temperature due to a DC current in the ferrimagnetic M-type strontium hexaferrite platelets. Utilizing microwave measurement techniques and data on the shift in magnetic mode frequencies, it was found that a DC current along the hexagonal c-axis resulted in a significant decrease in the saturation magnetization and an increase in the uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy field. These changes in the magnetic order parameters were directly proportional to the square of applied electric field and were found to be much higher than variations due to Joule heating. A phenomenological theory that takes into account the current-induced magnetobielectric effects (MBE) is proposed. Expressions for coupling coefficients for MBE have been obtained and have been calculated from the variations in magnetic order parameters. The electric field E (or current) tuning of the magnetic modes in SrM reported here is orders of magnitude stronger than strain mediated E-tuning of magnetic resonance in hexaferrite-ferroelectric composites. The non-linear ME effects in the hexaferrite, therefore, open up an avenue for the realization of E-tunable broad-band microwave and millimeter wave ferrite signal processing devices such as resonators and filters.

Ferromagnetic–ferroelectric nanocomposites are of interest for realizing strong strain-mediated coupling between electric and magnetic subsystems due to a high surface area-to-volume ratio. This report is on the synthesis of nickel ferrite (NFO)–barium titanate (BTO) core–shell nanofibers, magnetic field assisted assembly into superstructures, and studies on magneto-electric (ME) interactions. Electrospinning techniques were used to prepare coaxial fibers of 0.5–1.5 micron in diameter. The core–shell structure of annealed fibers was confirmed by electron microscopy and scanning probe microscopy. The fibers were assembled into discs and films in a uniform magnetic field or in a field gradient. Studies on ME coupling in the assembled films and discs were done by magnetic field (H)-induced polarization, magneto–dielectric effects at low frequencies and at 16–24 GHz, and low-frequency ME voltage coefficients (MEVC). We measured ~2–7% change in remnant polarization and in the permittivity for H = 7 kOe, and a MEVC of 0.4 mV/cm Oe at 30 Hz. A model has been developed for low-frequency ME effects in an assembly of fibers and takes into account dipole–dipole interactions between the fibers and fiber discontinuity. Theoretical estimates for the low-frequency MEVC have been compared with the data. These results indicate strong ME coupling in superstructures of the core–shell fibers.

The observation of dielectric resonance over the frequency range 40-110 GHz in single crystal yttrium iron garnet (YIG) and its magnetic field tuning characteristics are reported. The dimensions of YIG are appropriately chosen in order to have the dielectric resonance occur at a much higher frequency than the ferromagnetic resonance and avoid any hybrid spin-electromagnetic modes. The dielectric modes are magnetically tunable by 1 GHz with a magnetic field of ∼1.75 kOe. The tuning range and required bias magnetic fields, however, can be controlled with the sample dimensions (or the demagnetization factor Nzz). Theoretical calculations on magnetic field tuning characteristics for the dielectric modes are in reasonable agreement with the data. The theory also predicts a similar magnetic tuning of the dielectric modes in the sub-THz frequency range as well. The dielectric modes that can be tuned with a magnetic field are of importance for the realization of low-loss tunable devices, including resonators, isolators, and phase shifters operating in the sub-THz region.

Ferromagnetic-ferroelectric composites show strain mediated coupling between the magnetic and electric sub-systems due to magnetostriction and piezoelectric effects associated with the ferroic phases. We have synthesized core-shell multiferroic nano-composites by functionalizing 10–100 nm barium titanate and nickel ferrite nanoparticles with complementary coupling groups and allowing them to self-assemble in the presence of a catalyst. The core-shell structure was confirmed by electron microscopy and magnetic force microscopy. Evidence for strong strain mediated magneto-electric coupling was obtained by static magnetic field induced variations in the permittivity over 16–18 GHz and polarization and by electric field induced by low-frequency ac magnetic fields.

Magnetic and dielectric resonances in the sub-terahertz (sub-THz) frequency range are observed in pure and Al-substituted hexagonal barium ferrite. A resonator based on magnetic excitations has been fabricated and its performance characteristics have been studied. The possible use of the resonator at sub-THz frequencies has been demonstrated. The resonator exhibited a loaded Q-factor of 150-330 in the frequency range 97-108 GHz. Dielectric resonances in a single-crystal barium hexaferrite are observed in the frequency range 75-110 GHz. The modes excited by circularly polarized electromagnetic waves show nonreciprocal propagation characteristics. The dielectric resonances may occur at a much higher frequency than ferromagnetic resonance. It is shown that degeneracy in the dielectric modes is lifted with an applied magnetic field and that the modes can be tuned by 10 GHz or more with . Data on frequencies of the modes versus shows hysteresis. Theoretical predictions on -tuning characteristics of the principal dielectric 11 mode are in agreement with the data. The dielectric modes are of importance for the realization of low-loss devices, including resonators, isolators and phase shifters.

The nature of the nonlinear magnetoelectric effect is investigated in platelets of single-crystal Y-type hexaferrite with a collinear ferrimagnetic structure. The effect was observed at room temperature as a shift of 1.1-to-1.4 GHz in the ferromagnetic resonance frequency of Ba2Zn2Fe12O22 (Zn2Y) rectangular resonator with the application of an in-plane DC voltage. The shift amounted to 10%–12% of the central frequency which ranged from 8 to 17 GHz (X and Ku-bands). From the experimental results, we estimated the magnetoelectric modification of effective saturation magnetization and found that it scales almost linearly with the applied DC electric power. A phenomenological model for the nonlinear magnetoelectric effect, which considers the hexaferrite magnetic symmetry, is proposed and qualitatively accounts for the observed dependence of magnetic parameters on input power. It is shown that the resonator can operate as an electrically controlled discrete phase shifter with almost π/4 phase shift and <4 dB insertion losses. These results are of importance for the use of Y-type hexaferrites in electrically tunable planar microwave signal processing devices.

An enhancement in the power-conversion-efficiency (η) of a magneto-electric (ME) gyrator has been found by the use of Mn-substituted nickel zinc ferrite. A trilayer gyrator of Mn-doped Ni0.8Zn0.2Fe2O3 and Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 has η = 85% at low power conditions (∼20 mW/in3) and η ≥ 80% at high power conditions (∼5 W/in3). It works close to fundamental electromechanical resonance in both direct and converse modes. The value of η is by far the highest reported so far, which is due to the high mechanical quality factor (Qm) of the magnetostrictive ferrite. Such highly efficient ME gyrators with a significant power density could become important elements in power electronics, potentially replacing electromagnetic and piezoelectric transformers.