Magnetic sensors and energy harvesters based on soft magnetic materials-C. Gómez Polo p.2

Magnetic sensors and energy harvesters based on soft magnetic materials
Prof Cristina Gómez Polo

In this talk the application of soft magnetic materials, in particular soft magnetic amorphous alloys, for sensing and energy harvesting purposes is presented. Different application sectors will be addressed: agricultural sector for irrigation scheduling, position sensors for automotive and mechatronics applications, environmental monitoring, non-destructive testing of ferromagnetic elements and magnetic nanoparticle detectors. The employed sensing principle (Giant MagnetoImpedance, GMI, effect) is based on the change of the high frequency electric impedance of the soft magnetic element under an external stimulus (e.g. stress, temperature or magnetic field), as a consequence of the variations of the magnetic permeability. The use of non-linear terms of the GMI voltage (second harmonic component) will be shown as an effective tool to enhance the sensor sensitivity and detection response. Regarding energy harvesting, the design of efficient systems to power sensor networks, avoiding the extensive use of batteries, represents a topic of great current technological interest. In particular, vibrational energy harvesters (both based on magnetic-levitated permanent magnets and magnetostrictive cantilevers) will be analyzed and magnetic devices will be shown as a promising technology in this field.

Brief CV

Bachelor and PhD in Materials Physics from the Complutense University of Madrid in 1988 and 1992, respectively. In 1995 she joined the Public University of Navarre as Associated Professor and become Full Professor in 2011. Her research activity is mainly focused on the magnetic properties and applications of nanostructured magnetic materials and includes the study of amorphous, nanocrystalline and nanoparticle systems. She is co-author of more than 130 papers published in international journals of the JCR (Journal Citation Reports). She is currently member of the IEEE Magnetics Society Technical Committee (TC) and of the Advisory Board of the Sensors journal and the Journal of Alloys and Compounds. She has participated in different national and international projects directly related to the study of nanostructured magnetic materials and their applications, leading technology transfer projects with technology and industrial agents. Regarding management activity at the Public University of Navarre, she was the Head of Physics Department, being currently the Director of the Institute of Advanced Materials and Mathematics INAMAT2-UPNA and responsible (research leader) of the research group “Physical properties and applications of materials”.