A three-phase magnetoelectric composite of piezoelectric ceramics, rare-earth iron alloys, and polymer

• DOI: 10.1063/1.1521247
• Publication Date: 2002-11-07T20:00:50Z
• Authors: C.-W. Nan; L. Liu; N. Cai; J. Zhai; Y. Ye; Y. H. Lin; L. J. Dong; C. X. Xiong
• Keywords: 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology

A class of multiferroic, three-phase particulate composites of Tb–Dy–Fe alloy, lead–zirconate–titanate (PZT), and polymer are investigated, in which a small volume fraction f of Tb–Dy–Fe alloy particles are dispersed in a PZT/polymer mixture. The measured dielectric, piezoelectric, and magnetoelectric properties demonstrate that a percolation transition occurs at f∼0.12 in the composites. When f is low (e.g., f<0.07), the composites exhibit piezoelectric and increasing magnetoelectric response. In the critical f range of 0.07<f<0.12, such piezo- and magnetoelectric responses sharply drop, and equal zero at the percolation threshold, above which the composite becomes a conductor and a magnetostrictive composite only.