The present invention provides an amplitude modulator, which is disposed in an area through which a magnetic field flows so as to modulate amplitudes, comprising: a substrate; a first driving electrode which receives a first frequency signal and a second frequency signal supplied from the substrate and carries out resonant motion by the magnetic field; and a second driving electrode for receiving the second frequency signal and carries out resonant motion by the first driving electrode and the magnetic field, wherein a modulated signal is generated by modulating the amplitudes of the first and second frequency signals through the resonant motions of the first and second driving electrodes. Therefore, since the signal generated by modulating a carrier signal through mechanical resonance according to the magnetic field is outputted, amplitude modulation can be carried out without a complicated circuit configuration. In addition, since an MEMS device is a single structure that does not include an insulating layer, a single signal is applied to one structure, thereby simplifying driving, and all the driving electrodes of both ends thereof are driven so as to double a change in variable capacitance, thereby improving sensing ability.

The present invention discloses a triaxial magnetoresistive sensor. It comprises a substrate integrated with a biaxial magnetic field sensor, a Z-axis sensor that has a sensing direction along Z-axis perpendicular to the two axes of the biaxial magnetic field sensor, and an ASIC. The biaxial magnetic field sensor comprises an X-axis bridge sensor and a Y-axis bridge sensor. The Z-axis sensor and the two-axis sensor are electrically interconnected with the ASIC. A single-chip implementation of the triaxial magnetic field sensor comprises a substrate, onto which a triaxial magnetic field sensor and an ASIC are stacked. The triaxial magnetic field sensor comprises an X-axis bridge sensor, a Y-axis bridge sensor, and a Z-axis bridge sensor. The above design provides a highly integrated sensor with high sensitivity, low power consumption, good linearity, wide dynamic range, excellent thermal stability, and low magnetic noise.

A solidly mounted resonator (SMR)-based magnetoelectric (ME) antenna comprises a substrate, a Bragg reflector disposed on the substrate, a magnetostrictive/piezoelectric ME composite element disposed on the Bragg reflector, a first electrically conductive contact and a second electrically conductive contact. The first contact is disposed between the Bragg reflector and the magnetostrictive/piezoelectric ME composite element and electrically coupled to a bottom surface of the magnetostrictive/piezoelectric ME composite element. The second contact is disposed on top of the magnetostrictive/piezoelectric ME composite element and electrically coupled to the top of the magnetostrictive/piezoelectric ME composite element. The magnetostrictive/piezoelectric ME composite element comprises a magnetorestrictive multilayer deposited on a piezoelectric layer. The magnetorestrictive multilayer produces an in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy (UMA). The UMA is a twofold UMA that exhibits a symmetric radiation pattern.

A metal detection apparatus that can accurately and automatically determine whether a metal passing through the inspection area is a magnetic or non-magnetic metal comprises a detection unit quadrature-detecting a differential detection signal of magnetic field fluctuation in the inspection area due to the passage of a workpiece, and a determination unit that determines the presence or absence of a mixed metal based on both fluctuation components after the detection. The determination unit compares sample signal phase data obtained beforehand from the detection signal of the magnetic field fluctuation in the inspection area due to the passage of various metal samples, with the signal phase data obtained from the detection signal of the magnetic field fluctuation in the inspection area due to the passage of the workpiece mixed with metal, and determines the type of metal passing through the inspection area based on the phase determination result.

A magnetic currency verification head may include a magnetoresistive sensor chip, and a magnetic bias unit disposed on the side of the magnetoresistive sensor chip away from the detection surface of the magnetic currency verification head, and separated from the magnetoresistive sensor chip; the magnetoresistive sensor chip comprises a gradiometric bridge circuit that includes magnetic sensor elements; the sensitive direction of the magnetic sensor elements is parallel to the detection surface of the magnetic currency verification head; and the magnetic bias unit has a recessed magnetic structure configured such that the magnetic field generated by the magnetic bias unit only has a small magnetic field component in the direction parallel to the detection surface, thereby enabling the magnetic sensor elements to operate in their linear range. As a result, the magnetic currency verification head has high sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio.

A system and method for locating an object within a structure includes a magnetically-responsive member coupled to the object. A magnetic field generator generates a magnetic field in the presence of the structure. The generated magnetic field causes the magnetically-responsive member to output a signal when the magnetically-responsive member is in the presence of the magnetic field. A detector may include a sensor coupled to a control unit. The sensor detects the signal output by the magnetically-responsive member. The control unit locates the object based on detection of a third harmonic of the signal.

A system and method for locating an object within a structure includes a magnetically-responsive member coupled to the object. A magnetic field generator generates a magnetic field in the presence of the structure. The generated magnetic field causes the magnetically-responsive member to output a signal when the magnetically-responsive member is in the presence of the magnetic field. A detector may include a sensor coupled to a control unit. The sensor detects the signal output by the magnetically-responsive member. The control unit locates the object based on detection of a third harmonic of the signal.

A permanent magnet comprising an antiferromagnetic layer and a ferromagnetic layer having a first sub-layer made of a first type of ferromagnetic material, the first type of ferromagnetic material being an at least partially crystallized alloy of iron and cobalt, and a second sub-layer made of a second type of ferromagnetic material, this second type of ferromagnetic material also being an alloy of iron and cobalt in which the proportion of face-centered cubic crystals is less than the proportion of face-centered cubic crystals in the first type of ferromagnetic material.

A permanent magnet comprising an antiferromagnetic layer and a ferromagnetic layer having a first sub-layer made of a first type of ferromagnetic material, the first type of ferromagnetic material being an at least partially crystallized alloy of iron and cobalt, and a second sub-layer made of a second type of ferromagnetic material, this second type of ferromagnetic material also being an alloy of iron and cobalt in which the proportion of face-centered cubic crystals is less than the proportion of face-centered cubic crystals in the first type of ferromagnetic material.

A magnetic sensor comprises a magnetic material portion; an excitation portion; and a magnetic detection portion, the magnetic sensor detecting a magnetic field by the magnetic detection portion detecting a detection magnetic field generated due to magnetic moments of the magnetic material portion. The excitation portion is configured to include a conductive material formed into an elongated shape, the magnetic material portion is a soft magnetic film formed on a surface of the conductive material, and the magnetic moments of the magnetic material portion are oriented along circumferential directions of the conductive material orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the conductive material such that the magnetic moments directed to one of the circumferential directions and the magnetic moments direction in another circumferential direction opposite to the one circumferential direction are distributed in substantially equal amounts.