Noise generation in a bilayer ferromagnet-piezoelectric heterostructure at the converse magnetoelectric effect

Abstract

The paper describes first observation of parametric generation of noise in a composite multiferroic resonator. Resonator of a disk shape contains two mechanically coupled layers, one of which is the amorphous ferromagnet (FM) FeBSiC and the other is the piezoelectric (PE) lead zirconate titanate. DC magnetic field of 0–100 Oe is applied parallel to the plane of the resonator. Resonator is excited in the frequency range f = 2–10 kHz by a harmonic electric field with amplitude of up to 330 V cm−1 applied to the PE layer. Changes in the magnetization of the resonator caused by the converse magnetoelectric effect were recorded using an electromagnetic coil. With an increase in the excitation field to the threshold value, the parametric generation of harmonics and subharmonics with a discrete spectrum is observed, which then turns into a stochastic mode and a continuous spectrum of frequencies is generated. Noise density is hysterically dependent on the excitation field and non-monotonically depends on the dc magnetic field. Theory of parametric generation of the noise in a multiferroic resonator is developed, taking into account excitation of acoustic resonances and magnetoacoustic nonlinearity of the FM layer of the resonator. Theory, qualitatively describes the main characteristics of noise generation.