Coupled magnetodielectric properties of laminated PbZr0.53Ti0.47O3/NiFe2O4 ceramics

Simple multiferroic laminated ceramics of lead-zirconate-titanate PbZr0.53Ti0.47O3(PZT)/NiFe2O4 were prepared by a conventional ceramic processing. The measured magnetodielectric properties demonstrated strong dependence on the relative thickness of the PZT layers, magnetic bias, and angle between the bias and polarization in the laminated ceramics. Recent theoretical approaches were employed to explain these observed behaviors. The maximum magnetoelectric sensitivity (alpha(E31)) of the ceramics samples could reach up to as high as 0.21 V/A at 11.9 kA/m. In particular, at low magnetic bias, the laminated ceramics were found to have a very large magnetoelectric sensitivity linearly varying with the bias. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.