Magnetoelectric Antenna Technologies for Low-Frequency Communication

Magnetoelectric antennas exploit the intrinsic coupling between magnetic and electric domains in composite heterostructures to achieve efficient radiation and reception at frequencies where conventional antennas are prohibitively large. By bonding a magnetostrictive layer to a piezoelectric substrate, mechanical vibrations at acoustic resonance induce oscillating magnetic dipoles that radiate electromagnetic waves in the very-low- (3–30 kHz) and low-frequency (30–300 kHz) bands. This approach decouples antenna size from electromagnetic wavelength, enabling devices that measure a small fraction of a wavelength yet deliver enhanced radiation efficiency, improved bandwidth and ground-plane immunity. Recent advances have demonstrated nanoscale resonators, dual-band operation for simultaneous power harvesting and sensing, and multi-element arrays that boost gain without compromising impedance. Such developments promise compact, portable transceivers for underground, underwater and implantable applications, as well as robust links for the Internet of Things and secure long-range communication in challenging environments.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Acoustically actuated nanoelectromechanical magnetoelectric antennas have achieved unprecedented miniaturisation by employing suspended ferromagnetic/piezoelectric thin films that resonate at acoustic frequencies. Devices as small as one-thousandth of the free-space wavelength maintain efficient magnetic dipole radiation without performance degradation, opening pathways to chip-scale low-frequency transceivers. More recently, dual-band smart nanoelectromechanical systems have integrated energy harvesting and magnetic field sensing within a single microscale footprint. These devices leverage distinct acoustic modes to concurrently capture wireless power and detect neural-scale magnetic signals, achieving power-transfer efficiencies one to two orders of magnitude higher than micro-coil alternatives while complying with safety limits on tissue exposure.

Magnetoelectric Antenna Technologies for Low-Frequency Communication publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in magnetoelectric antenna technologies for low-frequency communication across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Magnetoelectric coupling: Interaction in heterostructures where mechanical strain mediates between magnetic and electric order parameters, enabling conversion between magnetic fields and voltages.

Piezoelectric resonance: Mechanical vibration at which a piezoelectric material efficiently converts electrical energy into acoustic waves and vice versa.

Magnetostrictive materials: Materials that change shape or dimension when subjected to a magnetic field, producing strain that can couple to piezoelectric layers.

Quality factor (Q): Dimensionless parameter that quantifies the sharpness of resonance, defined by the ratio of stored versus dissipated energy per cycle.

Magnetic dipole radiation: Electromagnetic emission resulting from time-varying magnetic dipole moments, characterised by near-field magnetic dominance at low frequencies.

References

1. Gain Enhancement and Ground Plane Immunity of Mechanically Driven Thin‐Film Bulk Acoustic Resonator Magnetoelectric Antenna Arrays. Advanced Functional Materials (2024).
2. A Multilayered Magnetoelectric Transmitter with Suppressed Nonlinearity for Portable VLF Communication. Research (2023).
3. Acoustically actuated ultra-compact NEMS magnetoelectric antennas. Nature Communications (2017).
4. Ultra-compact dual-band smart NEMS magnetoelectric antennas for simultaneous wireless energy harvesting and magnetic field sensing. Nature Communications (2021).
5. A Low Frequency Mechanical Transmitter Based on Magnetoelectric Heterostructures Operated at Their Resonance Frequency. Sensors (2019).