Magnetic sensors play a crucial role in various applications, such as speed and position sensing in the automotive industry or biomedical applications. Under the framework of the Christian Doppler Laboratory's "Advanced Magnetic Sensing and Materials" led by Diel Seuss, a new type of magnetic sensor developed in collaboration by the University of Vienna, the University of Danube Krems and Infineon has surpassed traditional technologies in terms of performance and accuracy. Researchers introduced this new development in the latest issue of the journal Nature Electronics. Many modern technological applications are based on magnetism, such as moving components of electric vehicles or storing data on hard disks. However, magnetic fields are also used as sensors to detect other magnetic fields.

A magnetic sensor, in which the magnetic sensor element has an eddy current state, the total market of magnetic field sensors based on semiconductor technology is currently 16.7 million US dollars and is still growing. For instance, in the automotive industry, more precise magnetic field sensors are used in ABS systems, which can be employed to detect tire pressure. This eliminates the need to install additional pressure sensors in the tires, thus saving resources and costs. The adoption of new magnetoresistive sensor technologies such as anisotropic magnetoresistance, giant magnetoresistance and tunnel magnetoresistance is mainly due to the improvement of their sensitivity and integration capabilities. The core of the new type of magnetic field sensor is a microstructure ferromagnetic thin-film element that can convert magnetic signals. This so-called transducer component will change its electrical behavior once a magnetic field is applied from the outside. The "compass pins" of atoms, namely the magnetic dipoles of atoms, are rearranged, thereby altering the resistance of the sensor element. This behavior is used to determine the magnetic field.

However, the performance of these sensors is limited by many factors. Under the framework of "Advanced Magnetic Sensing and Materials" at the Christian Doppler Laboratory, a team led by Det Seuss from the University of Vienna, the University of Danube, Krems and Infineon conducted a detailed analysis of the physical origin and fundamental limits. The investigation results and specific suggestions for solutions were published in the journal Nature Electronics. Computer simulations verified through experiments show that by redesigning the transducer components, interference signals, magnetic noise and hysteresis can be significantly reduced. In the new design, the atomic magnetic dipoles of the transducer elements are arranged in a circle around the center, similar to a hurricane. The externally applied magnetic field alters the position of the eddy current center, which in turn directly leads to a change in resistance.

The position of the vortex center is proportional to the applied magnetic field and is a reproducible and precise measurement variable.

Dieter Seuss, the project leader, said: "This progress demonstrates the first large-scale application of magnetic eddy current structures and represents a significant improvement over traditional magnetic sensors." This research project is a great example. Basic research and pure scientific issues, such as the behavior of magnetic eddy current structures in a magnetic field, can lead to very successful applications. Sass said of this important synergy: "The prerequisite for achieving this goal is the cooperation between science and industry." In this kind of cooperation, science and industry provide practical relevant issues and technical facilities for the realization of these complex technologies, such as clean rooms, etc.

Bokeyuan - Science Popularization: Reference Journal: Nature Electronics: From: University of Vienna