There is currently a need for an efficient approach to control magnetism at small scales (<1 mm). Work on these magnetoelectric concepts dates back to the 19th century, when researchers believed that a material could convert electrical to magnetic energy, similar to Oersted’s discovery, made by passing a current through a wire. Today, there are significant magnetoelectric research opportunities in both materials discovery and theoretical modeling efforts to advance this important area of magnetic control. Applications for these strain-mediated magnetoelectric materials range from replacing existing inefficient magnetic memory approaches to spearheading new discoveries, such as micrometer-size electromagnetic motors enabling robotic manipulation. This article and the other articles in this issue provide the motivation, background information, research opportunities, and novel applications for studying strain-mediated magnetoelectric materials. The issue is designed to encourage additional research on magnetoelectrics due to its potential impact on society through the efficient control of magnetism at the micro- and nanoscale.

Recently, double perovskite-based oxide materials have been proposed for thermoelectric (TE) applications due to their environment-friendly nature, high-temperature stability, better oxidation resistance, and lower processing cost compared to conventional chalcogenides and intermetallics. In this review article, we have comprehensively summarized our recent research studies on Sr2B′B″O6-based double perovskites for high-temperature TE power generation. We have shown that decoupling of phonon-glass and electron-crystal behavior is possible in oxides by reducing thermal conductivity due to induced dipolar glassy state as a result of relaxor ferroelectricity. We have also introduced metal-like electrical conductivity (∼105 S/m) in these ceramics that are inherently insulator in nature. Moreover, we have observed interesting behavior of temperature-driven p–n type conduction switching assisted colossal change in thermopower in some of these oxides, hitherto, obtained only in chalcogenides. The charge transport mechanism in these complex oxides has been analyzed by small polaron hopping conduction model in conjugation with defect chemistry.

The magnetic properties of a magnetic material can be modified by elastic deformation—termed the magnetoelastic effect. This effect is considered an alternative approach to magnetic fields for the low-power control of magnetization states of nanostructures since it avoids charge currents that create heat dissipation. This article describes the effects of dynamic strain accompanying a surface acoustic wave on magnetic nano-elements. We use a technique based on stroboscopic x-ray microscopy to simultaneously image the evolution of both strain and magnetization at the nanometer length and picosecond time scales. The study shows that there is a delayed response of the magnetization to dynamic strain, adjustable by the magnetic properties of the material. The presented analysis provides insights into dynamic magnetoelastic coupling in nanostructures with implications for the design of strain-controlled nanodevices.

Strong strain-mediated magnetoelectric (ME) coupling in magnetic/ferroelectric heterostructures has great potential for different high-frequency multiferroic devices. In this article, we present the most recent progress in integrated multiferroic devices. Integrated magnetic tunable inductors with a wide operation frequency range, integrated nonreciprocal bandpass filters with dual magnetic and electric-field tunability based on magnetostatics surface waves, and novel radio-frequency nanomechanical ME resonators with pico-Tesla sensitivity for direct current magnetic fields are presented. Finally, a new antenna miniaturization mechanism, acoustically actuated nanomechanical ME antennas, which can successfully miniaturize the size by 1–2 orders, is introduced. With the advantages of high magnetic field sensitivity, highest antenna gain among all nanoscale antennas at similar frequency, integrated capability with complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology, and ground-plane immunity from metallic surfaces and the human body, ME antennas have a bright future for biomedical applications, wearable antennas, and the Internet of Things due to their unique and particular properties.

Highly sensitive magnetic field sensors using magnetoelectric (ME) bulk and thin-film composites consisting of magnetostrictive and piezoelectric phases are discussed. Examples include PZT (Pb(ZrxTi1–x)O3) fibers and AlN as the piezoelectric component and amorphous magnetostrictive material, respectively, or their multilayers. Additionally, self-organized ME composites are discussed. These ME sensors offer a passive (consuming little to no power) nature, high sensitivities, large effect enhancements at mechanical resonances, and large linear dynamic ranges. At mechanical resonance, limits of detection in the fT/Hz1/2 range can be achieved. Below the mechanical resonance frequency, the sensitivity can be enhanced through frequency conversion using alternating current magnetic or electric fields or by using magnetic field-induced changes of the elastic properties, the delta-E effect, where E represents Young’s modulus. Noise floors of about 1–100 pT/Hz1/2 at a frequency of f = 1 Hz can be obtained depending on the sensor size and the operational mode. For applications in unshielded environments, approaches to suppress acoustic and vibrational cross-sensitivities are presented.