Project A8 - Modelling of Magnetoelectric Sensors

The aim of this project is a theoretical investigation of the behavior of magnetoelectric sensors and sensor arrays based on piezoelectric and magnetostrictive composite materials in inhomogeneous biomagnetic fields. In prior research, analytical and numerical methods for both static and resonant sensor operation were developed while a linearized small-signal behavior with constant material parameters was assumed. The signal-to-noise ratio is calculated by combining the methods with the noise model from project B1. In this funding period, the first research focus is on the modelling of surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) sensors (cooperation with project A9) and electrically modulated cantilever sensors (cooperation with project A7). Here, an aspect of particular importance is the development of methods for the numerical simulation of sensor geometries with high aspect ratios and anisotropic material properties. The simulation will be implemented by employing the finite element method (FEM). In numerical studies, geometry-dependent and material-dependent effects in magnetoelectric sensors will be evaluated with the aim of achieving better sensor performance. The second focus is on the modelling of magnetoelectric sensors and sensor arrays in inhomogeneous magnetic fields as they are found in biomagnetic applications. The deep-brain-stimulation system including sensors in a sensor array as well as the head properties will be investigated in a multiscale simulation (cooperation with project T1). The aim is to determine the transfer function of the magnetoelectric sensor system as an input for solving the inverse problem. This project will collaborate closely on the sensor design with the groups in research area A. For the system aspects, it will be done in close cooperation with the corresponding projects in research area B.

 

Involved Researchers

Person Role
Prof. Dr. Martina Gerken
Electrical Engineering
Integrated Systems and Photonics		 Project lead
M.Sc. Giuseppe Barbieri
Electrical Engineering
Integrated Systems and Photonics		 Doctoral researcher
Dr.-Ing. Mohsen Samadi
Electrical Engineering
Integrated Systems and Photonics		 Postdoctoral researcher

 

Role within the Collaborative Research Centre

Exchange on modelling topics with other projects will take place in the focus group “Modelling,” which is headed by Prof. Gerken. This project will join focus groups “Concepts based on ∆E-effect” and “ME Sensors” for the development of sensors as well as the group “Biomedical applications” to discuss the link of the sensor properties to the applications. This project will support the dissemination activities in SOP and the doctoral researchers will be active in the IRTG.

Collaborations
A1 (Magnetostrictive Multilayers for Magnetoelectric Sensors) Magnetostrictive material parameters obtained from A1.
A7 (Electrically Modulated Magnetoelectric Sensors) Sensor design rules for electric modulation are provided to A7. A comparison of experimental and theoretical results is employed to enhance the simulation method and provide better predictions.
A9 (Surface Acoustic Wave Magnetic Field Sensors) SAW sensor design rules are provided to A9. A comparison of experimental and theoretical results is employed to enhance the simulation method and provide better predictions.
A10 (Magnetic Noise of Magnetoelectric Sensors) Magnetic noise model obtained from A10. Layer deformation and full sensor calculations provided to A10.
B1 (Sensor Noise Performance and Analogue System Design) Noise models developed in B1will be integrated into the simulation and SNR values for complex sensor geometries will be provided to B1.
B2 (Digital Signal Processing) Sensor models delivered. Transfer function implementation established together.
B7 (3D-Imaging of Magnetically Labelled Cells) Sensor models delivered. Transfer function implementation established together.
B9 (Magnetoelectric Sensors for Movement Detection and Analysis) Sensor models delivered. Transfer function implementation established together.
B10 (Magnetoelectric Sensor Systems for Cardiologic Applications) Sensor models delivered. Transfer function implementation established together.
T1 (Transfer project – Individualized Deep Brain Stimulation) The DBS system model will be implemented in close collaboration with T1.
Z2 (Magnetoelectric Sensor Characterization) Experimental studies on local coil excitation of ME sensors supplied by Z2.

 

Project-related Publications
M.-Ö. Özden, G. Barbieri, M. Gerken: A Combined Magnetoelectric Sensor Array and MRI-Based Human Head Model for Biomagnetic FEM Simulation and Sensor Crosstalk Analysis, MDPI Sensors, 24(4), 1186, doi: 10.3390/s24041186, 2024. 
M.-Ö. Özden, J. Schmalz, M. Gerken: A Combined Magnetoelectric Sensor and Human Head Model for Biomagnetic FEM Simulations, IEEE Sensors Journal, vol. 23, no. 24, pp. 30259-30270, doi: 10.1109/JSEN.2023.3329579 2023. 
M. Samadi, J. Schmalz, J. M. Meyer, F. Lofink, M. Gerken: Phononic-Crystal-Based SAW Magnetic-Field Sensors, SMicromachines, 14(11), 2130, 2023. 
J. Schmalz, E. Spetzler, J. McCord, M. Gerken: Investigation of Unwanted Oscillations of Electrically Modulated Magnetoelectric Cantilever Sensors, MDPI Sensors, no. 11, issue 11, pp. 5012, 2023. 
M.-Ö. Özden, M. Gerken: Trade-Off between Spatial Resolution and Sensitivity of Magnetoelectric Magnetic Field Sensors, International Conference on Electromagnetics in Advanced Applications (ICEAA), 2021.
J. Schmalz, M. Krantz, A. Knies, H. Lüder, M. Gerken: Signal-to-Noise Ratio Enhanced Electrode Configurations for Mgnetoelectric Cantilever Sensors, AIP Advances, vol. 10, issue 7, 075314, 2020.
S. Zuo, J. Schmalz, M.-Ö. Özden, M. Gerken, J. Su, F. Niekiel, F. Lofink, K. Nazarpour, H. Heidari: Ultrasensitive Magnetoelectric Sensing System for Pico-Tesla MagnetoMyoGraphy, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems, vol. 14, issue 5, 2020.
J. Schmalz, B. Spetzler, F. Faupel, M. Gerken: Love Wave Magnetic Field Sensor Modeling — from 1D to 3D Model, International Conference on Electromagnetics in Advanced Applications (ICEAA), pp. 0765-0769, 2019.
M. Krantz, M. Gerken: Fundamental Thermal Limits for Detection of Biomedical Magnetic Fields by Resonant Magnetoelectric Composite Sensors, Abstract von Today's Noise Tomorrow's Signal, Berlin, Deutschland, 2019.
A. Kittmann, P. Durdaut, S. Zabel, J. Reermann, J. Schmalz, B. Spetzler, D. Meyners, N. X. Sun, J. McCord, M. Gerken, G. Schmidt, M. Höft, R. Knöchel, F. Faupel, E. Quandt: Wide Band Low Noise Love Wave Magnetic Field Sensor System, Scientific Reports, vol. 8, no. 278, 2018.
B. R. Holländer, C. Müller, J. Schmalz, M. Gerken, J. McCord: Magnetic Domain Walls as Broadband Spin Wave and Elastic Magnetisation Wave Emitters, scientific reports, vol. 8, no. 13871, 2018.
J. Schmalz, A. Kittmann, P. Durdaut, B. Spetzler, F. Faupel, M. Höft, E. Quandt, M. Gerken: Comparison of the Fundamental and Higher Order Love Waves’ Sensitivities in a SAW Based Magnetic Field Sensor, SAW Symposium 2018, Dresden, 2018.
S. B. Hrkac, C. T. Koops, M. Abes, C. Krywka, M. Müller, M. Burghammer, M. Sztucki, T. Dane, S. Kaps, Y. K. Mishra, R. Adelung, J. Schmalz, M. Gerken, E. Lage, C. Kirchhof, E. Quandt, O. M. Magnussen, B. M. Murphy: Tunable Strain in Magnetoelectric ZnO Microrod Composite Interfaces, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 9 (30), pp. 25571–25577 , 2017.
M. Krantz, M. Gerken J. Schmalz: Magnetoelectric Cantilever Theory: Effect of Elastic Seed and Adhesion Layers and Multi-Domain Concepts on Response of Exchange Bias Multilayer Sensors, Euro Intelligent Materials, 2017.
J. Schmalz, F. Faupel, M. Gerken, A. Kittmann, E. Quandt, E. Yarar, S. Zabel:Influence of a Magnetostrictive Layer on the Mode Shape and Wave Velocity of Love-Wave Based SAW-Device, Euro Intelligent Materials 2017, Kiel, 2017.
J. L. Gugat, M. C. Krantz; J. Schmalz, M. Gerken: Signal-to-Noise Ratio in Cantilever Magnetoelectric Sensors, IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 52, issue 9, 2016.
J. L. Gugat, M. C. Krantz, J. Schmalz, M. Gerken: Magnetic Flux Concentration Effects in Cantilever Magnetoelectric Sensors, IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 52, no. 5, pp. 1-8, 2016.