An electrical generator comprises a converter including two electrical terminals for converting a variation in a magnetic field into a potential difference between the terminals. The generator includes a stack of a first layer comprising an anisotropic magnetostrictive material defining a reference plane and a second layer comprising a piezoelectric material. The first layer has at least one preferential axis of deformation in the reference plane and the second layer has a polarization axis parallel to the reference plane, the preferential axis of deformation of the first layer being aligned to within 15 with the polarization axis of the second layer. The generator includes a source that generates the magnetic field, the strength of which is insufficient to magnetically saturate the material of the first layer. The source and converter are able to rotate with respect to each other so as to vary the orientation of the magnetic field.

An object is to provide an organic piezoelectric film with a high level of piezoelectricity and a high level of transparency. The organic piezoelectric film of the present disclosure has a total light transmittance of 90% or more, an internal haze value of 0.2%/?m or less per unit film thickness or an internal haze value of 4% or less, and piezoelectric constant d.sub.33 of 10 pC/N or more after heating at 110? C. for 10 minutes.

An object is to provide an organic piezoelectric film with a high level of piezoelectricity and a high level of transparency. The organic piezoelectric film of the present disclosure has a total light transmittance of 90% or more, an internal haze value of 0.2%/?m or less per unit film thickness or an internal haze value of 4% or less, and piezoelectric constant d.sub.33 of 10 pC/N or more after heating at 110? C. for 10 minutes.

A power generating element according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes at least one magnetostrictive portion containing a magnetostrictive material, at least one magnetic portion containing a magnetic material, part of a surface of the magnetic portion being fixed to the magnetostrictive portion, a coil housing part of one of the magnetostrictive portion and the magnetic portion, and a magnet portion including a magnet and fixed to the magnetostrictive portion, wherein the magnetic portion is magnetically connected in parallel to the magnetostrictive portion and is fixed to the magnetostrictive portion so as to have an interval between the magnetostrictive portion and the magnetic portion, the interval being magnetically connected in series to the magnetic portion.

A magneto-electric energy harvester/generator includes a piezoelectric layer, a conductive layer disposed on a first side of the piezoelectric layer, and a layer of magnetic material disposed on a second side of the piezoelectric material. The device may be fabricated by screen printing polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) ink onto a flexible magnetic alloy substrate. Silver ink may then be screen printed onto the PVD material to form a conductive layer. The printed PVDF and silver layers may be cured by heating, and the device is then poled by applying an electric field.

The present invention relates to a heterostructure, in particular, a piezoelectric structure, comprising a cover layer, in particular, a layer of piezoelectric material, the material of the cover layer having a first coefficient of thermal expansion, assembled to a support substrate, the support substrate having a second coefficient of thermal expansion substantially different from the first coefficient of thermal expansion, at an interface wherein the cover layer comprises at least a recess extending from the interface into the cover layer, and its method of fabrication.

The present invention relates to a heterostructure, in particular, a piezoelectric structure, comprising a cover layer, in particular, a layer of piezoelectric material, the material of the cover layer having a first coefficient of thermal expansion, assembled to a support substrate, the support substrate having a second coefficient of thermal expansion substantially different from the first coefficient of thermal expansion, at an interface wherein the cover layer comprises at least a recess extending from the interface into the cover layer, and its method of fabrication.

A high-sensitivity and ultra-low power consumption magnetic sensor using a magnetoelectric (ME) composite comprising of magnetostrictive and piezoelectric layers. This sensor exploits the magnetically driven resonance shift of a free-standing magnetoelectric micro-beam resonator. Also disclosed is the related method for making the magnetic sensor.

The present invention provides a magnetostrictive member with high performance, high reliability and high versatility. The magnetostrictive member is used in the vibration power generation as a power source for extracting electric energy from various vibrations.

The member made of the single crystal is manufactured cheaper than the conventional manufacturing method. The magnetostrictive member is formed by cutting a single crystal of FeGa alloy by using electric discharge machining in a state that <100> orientation of the crystal of the FeGa alloy is aligned in a direction in which magnetostriction of the magnetostrictive member is required.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a magnetostrictive torque sensor shaft mounting a sensor portion of a magnetostrictive torque sensor. The method includes conducting heat treatment on a shaft material including chrome steel or chrome-molybdenum steel by carburizing, quenching and tempering, and conducting shot peening on the shaft material after the heat treatment at least on a position where the sensor portion is to be mounted. The shot peening is conducted by firing shot with a particle size of not less than 0.6 mm and a Rockwell hardness of not less than 60 at a jet pressure of not less than 0.4 MPa for a jet exposure time of not less than 2 minutes.