Fig. 1: Coupled elasto-magnetic vibration (C-EsMV) system enabling amplified actuation and mechanical memory.

a, b Configurations of elasto-magnetic vibration (EsMV) systems: a non-coupled (NC-EsMV) and b coupled (C-EsMV). When an AC is applied to an electromagnet, permanent magnets vibrate due to cycles of attractive (green dashed arrow) and repulsive (red dashed arrow) field. Even with the same input current, the two systems exhibit entirely different vibration behaviors (f_i = 5 Hz, I_peak = 0.86 A, Scale bar: 3 mm). c, d Schematic representations of potential energy landscapes for c NC-EsMV and d C-EsMV. Under alternating magnetic fields (attractive/ repulsive) applied by an electromagnet, the potential energy oscillates from each system’s equilibrium state (z_off), driving vibrations. In C-EsMV, the elastic potential energy of the membrane (gray dashed line) and the magnetic attraction between coupled magnets (black dashed line) combine to create Elasto-magnetic instability. The large inertia in C-EsMV allows the magnet to overshoot the static equilibrium position, extending from z_{Rep, (static)} to z_{Rep, (dynamic)}, resulting in vibration amplitudes significantly larger than NC-EsMV. e–g Key features of the C-EsMV system: e Maximum vibration amplitude as a function of input current, showing a nonlinear, stepwise response in C-EsMV compared to the linear response in NC-EsMV (f_i = 5 Hz). f Vibration amplitude across frequencies, with C-EsMV maintaining large amplitudes from low frequencies to near resonance (I_peak = 1 A). g Vibrational hysteresis by inertia, where amplified vibration persists below the current threshold. This effect is more pronounced near resonance (f_i = 30 Hz) due to increased energy absorption. h Non-contact, non-volatile mechanical memory arrays. When a magnetic trigger is applied to each cell, it transitions from the standby to the memorized state, permanently recording the external mechanical trigger (f_i = 30 Hz, Scale bar: 2 cm).