A positive-displacement pump device has at least one shape-memory unit including at least one magnetic shape-memory element, which is configured to convey at least one medium along at least one transport direction, wherein the positive-displacement pump device includes at least one deformation unit, which is configured, for the purpose of providing a transport volume, to deform the magnetic shape-memory element, at least in an idle state in which the positive-displacement pump device is free of a current and/or voltage supply, by a pressure force and/or traction force acting in the transport direction such that the magnetic shape-memory element includes at least one first partial region and at least one second partial region which differ from one another at least by their magnetic orientations.

The disclosure belongs to the technical field of additive manufacturing, and discloses a flexible piezoelectric sensor based on 4D printing and a preparation method thereof. The sensor includes a magnetic part and a conductive part, wherein: the conductive part includes two substrates disposed opposite to each other and a spiral structure disposed between the two substrates. Both the two substrates and the spiral structure are made of conductive metal materials. The magnetic part has a flexible porous structure and is arranged between the two substrates to generate a magnetic field. When the substrate is subjected to external pressure, the spiral structure and the magnetic part are compressed simultaneously, the magnetic flux passing through the spiral structure changes, and the voltage of the two substrates changes, by measuring the voltage change of the two substrates to reflect the change of external pressure, the pressure measuring process is achieved.

A matching control method for mechanical impedance of a magnetostrictive precision transducer includes developing a three-layer neural network model corresponding to a Young's modulus of a Terfenol-D material; acquiring sample data to form a training sample set and a testing sample set; training the model using a Bayesian regularization training algorithm, and optimizing connection weights and thresholds among layers of the tested model, so as to obtain a final three-layer neural network model; based on the final model, building an inverse model of mechanical impedance of the magnetostrictive precision transducer; using a current level of impedance of a load as an input of the inverse model to obtain a bias magnetic field, and changing a level of the bias magnetic field by changing a bias current in an excitation coil of the transducer, thereby achieving adaptive matching between the mechanical impedance of the transducer and the impedance of the load.

Exemplary practice of the present invention provides a magnetostrictive actuator characterized by linear force output and uniform magnetic biasing. A center bias magnet drives flux through series magnetostrictive bars in opposite directions while surrounding drive coils apply flux in the same direction through the bars. The net response is substantially linear with respect to the drive coil current. A second parallel set of magnetostrictive bars completes the flux path and adds to the actuator output force. Flux leakage between the parallel bars is compensated by a ferromagnetic shunt or by a tapered magnet providing uniform flux density down the length of the magnetostrictive bars. The closed flux path allows magnetic shielding of the entire actuator, if desired.

A plurality of conductive via connections are fabricated on a substrate located at positions where MTJ devices are to be fabricated, wherein a width of each of the conductive via connections is smaller than or equivalent to a width of the MTJ devices. The conductive via connections are surrounded with a dielectric layer having a height sufficient to ensure that at the end of a main MTJ etch, an etch front remains in the dielectric layer surrounding the conductive via connections. Thereafter, a MTJ film stack is deposited on the plurality of conductive via connections surrounded by the dielectric layer. The MTJ film stack is etched using an ion beam etch process (IBE), etching through the MTJ film stack and into the dielectric layer surrounding the conductive via connections to form the MTJ devices wherein by etching into the dielectric layer, re-deposition on sidewalls of the MTJ devices is insulating.

Embodiments of the invention include a current sensing device for sensing current in an organic substrate. The current sensing device includes a released base structure that is positioned in proximity to a cavity of the organic substrate and a piezoelectric film stack that is positioned in proximity to the released base structure. The piezoelectric film stack includes a piezoelectric material in contact with first and second electrodes. A magnetic field is applied to the current sensing device and this causes movement of the released base structure and the piezoelectric stack which induces a voltage (potential difference) between the first and second electrodes.

Exemplary practice of the present invention provides a magnetostrictive actuator characterized by linear force output and uniform magnetic biasing. A center bias magnet combined with a flux transfer tube produces a uniform magnetic bias down the length of a magnetostrictive component. Depending on the inventive embodiment, the magnetostrictive component may include one magnetostrictive element or a pair of collinear magnetostrictive elements. A center bias magnet, in combination with a flux transfer tube, drives magnetic flux through the magnetostrictive component (e.g., a series of magnetostrictive rods) in opposite directions, while surrounding drive coils apply flux in the same direction through the magnetostrictive component. The net response is substantially linear with respect to the drive coil current. The flux transfer tube applies distributed magnetic flux to the magnetostrictive component at a rate that ensures uniform magnetic flux density down the length of the magnetostrictive component.

Embodiments of a magnetic field sensor of the present disclosure includes magnetoelectric nanowires suspended above a substrate across electrodes without substrate clamping. This results in enhanced magnetoelectric coupling by reducing substrate clamping when compared to layered thin-film architectures. Accordingly, the magnetoelectric nanowires of the magnetic field sensor generate a voltage response in the presence of a magnetic field.

A compact magnetic-based battery device that offers energy, a large number of cycles, a long storage time, and a short charging time is provided. The rechargeable battery device can include a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, a dielectric layer disposed between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, and a plurality of high anisotropic magnetic nanoparticles embedded into the dielectric layer.

Structures for a sensor and methods of forming such structures. A sensing element includes a free magnetic layer, a pinned magnetic layer, and a non-magnetic conductive spacer layer between the free magnetic layer and the pinned magnetic layer. A dummy element is positioned outside of an outer boundary of the sensing element. The dummy element is detached from the sensing element.