A type of multiferroic polymer-based composite is presented which exhibits a giant magnetoelectric sensitivity. Such a multiferroic composite prepared via a simple low-temperature hot-molding technique for common polymer-based composites has a laminate structure with one lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT)/polyvinylidene-fluoride (PVDF) composite layer sandwiched between two $\mathrm{Tb}\mathrm{Dy}\mathrm{Fe}$ alloy (Terfenol-D)/PVDF composite layers. The PZT/PVDF layer in the middle dominates the dielectric and piezoelectric behavior of the polymer based composites. The coupling elastic interaction between two outer Terfenol-D/PVDF layers and the middle PZT/PVDF layer in such polymer-based composites produces the giant magnetoelectric response as demonstrated by the experimental results, especially at high frequency at which the electromechanical resonance appears. The maximum magnetoelectric sensitivity of the composites can reach up to as high as about $300\mathrm{mV}∕\mathrm{cm}\mathrm{Oe}$ at frequency below $50\mathrm{kHz}$ and about $6000\mathrm{mV}∕\mathrm{cm}\mathrm{Oe}$ at the resonance frequency of around $80\mathrm{kHz}$.

• Received 23 June 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.71.014102